Telegram founder complains no female spies have approached him, unlike Jensen Huang

Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram [Getty Images]

Pavel Durov, the 42-year-old Russian-born billionaire and founder of the messaging app Telegram, said not a single female spy has ever approached him — a remark made after former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged an affair with Alice Huang, who US intelligence suspects is a Chinese spy. The comment is widely read as a satirical jab at the confusion that followed Huang's scandal.

Durov posted on Thursday on his X account, asking whether "CEOs who are not interested in Asian women get fewer dating opportunities from intelligence agencies," adding, "This is unfair."

He then wrote: "Where are all the honeytrap agents from France, Russia and Iran? Not a single female spy has ever approached me. Are they not even trying?"

He added that he would excuse France, quipping that "the decision-makers there are not interested in women," before telling the other countries to "try a little harder."

In a follow-up post, Durov added in jest that he had discovered intelligence agencies were "actually trying" after all. "I checked my Instagram DMs," he wrote. "There were hundreds of 'models' showing a very keen interest in me."

Durov did not mention Huang or the circumstances surrounding him by name. Given the timing and context, however, the posts are widely interpreted as a deliberate satirical reference to the scandal.

Jensen Huang acknowledges affair, ultimately forced out

Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang [Getty Images]

Huang has ultimately found himself forced out of the company he founded and led for 33 years.

The departure comes four days after he acknowledged an affair with Alice Huang (Huang Le), who US intelligence suspects of being a Chinese spy.

Nvidia initially described the relationship between Huang and Alice Huang as "a business meeting with a customer." But after the Financial Times reported that US intelligence viewed the two as romantically involved — and after social media evidence emerged — Huang acknowledged the affair on Sunday.

At the time, he indicated he intended to remain as CEO. An additional extramarital relationship with a female executive who reported directly to him subsequently came to light, however, setting his resignation in motion.

Stacy Rasgon, an analyst at financial research firm Bernstein, cited the proverb "if you see two ants in the kitchen, don't think that's all there are" in a report titled "When Did He Even Have Time for This?", suggesting more allegations against Huang could yet emerge.

US intelligence believes Alice Huang was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security and approached Huang in an effort to obtain core Nvidia secrets and information about the administration's China policy.

US intelligence agencies briefed President Donald Trump and the administration on the matter, but Trump reportedly showed little reaction.

Huang issued a message in August acknowledging the extramarital relationship, apologizing and pledging to "rebuild trust." He has since maintained silence as events moved toward his resignation.

yul@heraldcorp.com