Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. [AP]
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. [AP]

As allegations mount that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had an extramarital affair with yet another employee — in addition to Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed executive facing Chinese espionage allegations, and Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare who reported directly to him — some analysts say the pattern may reflect a convergence of racial trauma from his youth, the psychological void that can follow extraordinary success, and the disarming effect of shared cultural identity.

Former lawmaker Jeong Ok-im raised the issue Tuesday on CBS Radio's "Park Jae-hong's Hanpan Seungbu," discussing the background and implications of the scandal.

Jeong cited a string of privacy scandals involving major US tech figures and said, "It is difficult to generalize, but powerful figures who hold enormous capital and influence often find themselves caught up in these situations when they seek new stimulation or try to fill an inner void despite having everything."

Jeong paid particular attention to Jensen Huang's personal upbringing.

"Many Taiwanese parents send their children to the United States at a young age for the sake of their success," Jeong said. "Huang was essentially thrown into a rural school in Kentucky as a child, and almost certainly experienced significant suppression amid a harsh environment and discrimination against Asians."

Jeong went on to say that "after fighting his way to the very top of American society, he may have encountered a woman of the same Asian background who deeply understood his field of expertise — and that could have caused his psychological defenses to completely dissolve."

Jeong also recalled how Huang had appeared relaxed and approachable during a visit to Korea, including in Seongsu-dong, and said "the emotional bond that comes from being with someone from the same cultural sphere was likely at work."

On the espionage allegations surrounding Alice Huang, Jeong was emphatic: the approach amounted to a "classic technique."

When attorney Jang Yun-mi, a fellow panelist, mentioned classic methods including the use of a honeytrap, Jeong said, "Classic methods have no expiration date — they are timeless."

Jeong also analyzed Alice Huang's background, saying she had worked as a broadcast journalist before spending a decade at a financial institution, then abruptly moved into AI and semiconductors and founded her own company. "There are indications that Chinese state-owned enterprises and Alibaba capital were invested in the company she founded, and the fact that she disappeared immediately after the story broke is itself a textbook operational pattern for an intelligence agency," Jeong said.

Jeong said the affair goes beyond a simple matter of personal privacy. "This is directly tied to how the US government handles the situation and the ripple effects on the global semiconductor supply chain," Jeong said, adding that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — South Korea's leading semiconductor stocks — could also feel the impact on the Korean economy. "We need to closely watch the US administration's response and any changes in Nvidia's leadership going forward," Jeong said.

Meanwhile, Kimberly Powell, identified as the second alleged affair partner of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, is one of roughly 60 senior executives who report directly to Huang and is widely regarded as a key figure at the company.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com