FBI, congressional probes and investor class action mount; criminal liability possible if SEC investigates

Paul Weiss retained as legal counsel; attorneys specialize in government and corporate investigations

Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the Dreamforce 2026 summit in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 15 (local time). [Reuters]
Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the Dreamforce 2026 summit in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 15 (local time). [Reuters]

Jensen Huang, the former Nvidia CEO embroiled in controversy over an affair with a woman suspected of ties to Chinese intelligence, has retained a major US law firm to mount a personal legal defense, according to reports.

According to The New York Times on Thursday (local time), Huang retained the law firm Paul Weiss as his legal counsel. Attorneys Melinda Haag and Walter Brown, both of Paul Weiss, are also involved in his legal representation, according to the report.

The specific scope of the firm's mandate has not been confirmed. However, The New York Times reported that both attorneys have previously represented corporate executives in government investigations and internal corporate probes.

The news emerged as Huang resigned from the CEO post that day, following his acknowledgment of an affair with a woman suspected of links to Chinese intelligence services and amid fresh allegations of a separate affair with a female Nvidia executive.

Huang faces pressure from FBI and congressional investigations over his alleged ties to Chinese espionage, and has also been hit with an investor class action lawsuit.

Nvidia shareholders filed a lawsuit against Huang and the company on Monday, alleging they misled investors by failing to adequately disclose his relationship with Alice Huang and the associated national security risks.

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and the House Intelligence Committee have also demanded that Huang appear for a closed-door joint briefing.

Reuters reported that the SEC may launch an investigation into Nvidia's disclosures, and that Huang could face criminal liability if he is found to have deliberately misled investors.

Nvidia's board has separately retained the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Jun Kim, a Korean American attorney and former acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York, to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations surrounding Huang.


yckim6452@heraldcorp.com