Rubio Memo Led to Jensen Huang Nvidia Exit
The Rubio memo that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent to President Donald Trump set in motion the events that ended Jensen Huang’s 33-year run at Nvidia, according to The Washington Post.
The Rubio memo to President Donald Trump, drawn from a CIA report, warned about Huang’s relationship with a woman US intelligence officials suspect of being a Chinese intelligence asset. Rubio recast its findings in more assertive terms, a person familiar with the matter told the Post.
What the Rubio memo said
The woman at the centre of the warning was Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, a former Megaspeed executive. The firm rents out computing power on Nvidia hardware. The memo called her a recruit of China’s Ministry of State Security, according to the New York Times and the Financial Times.
The classified memo, dated March 30, drew on the CIA report and went to a small circle of senior officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who oversees chip exports.
Rubio also warned Trump in person, briefing him aboard Air Force One at a refuelling stop in Anchorage on May 12, before Huang boarded. Trump had already been briefed, according to the Times.
What US agencies have not said
No US agency has publicly called Alice Huang a spy, none has presented evidence, she has not been charged, and China denies the allegation.
CNN reported CIA officials are not yet convinced she knowingly passed information to Beijing, although her access to Huang, and through him to Trump, still made her a counterintelligence risk.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said on November 12 that neither the Justice Department nor the FBI has confirmed it.
How the exit unfolded
The claims became public on October 29. On November 8, Huang admitted the affair and apologised to his family, and reports of a second affair with a subordinate then followed.
The board opened an investigation into security risks, then accepted his resignation on November 11. Nvidia announced his departure the next morning. After 33 years at the company he co-founded, Huang was out as chief executive and director. Colette Kress, the chief financial officer, took over as interim chief executive, and Harvey Jones became the first board chair.
Trump still publicly backs Huang, telling him to fight for his job and calling him a legend, while saying it has not been determined whether Alice Huang was a spy. At the G7 meeting in Paris, Rubio declined questions about his role in alerting the White House.
Inside Nvidia, staff and Elon Musk have called for Huang’s return, and his record faces fresh scrutiny, including the environmental cost of Nvidia’s growth.
Why it matters for chip exports
The Post describes the episode as part of a long fight over who sets Trump’s China policy, a fight that also shaped the Trump-Xi-Putin Shenzhen meeting. Huang had close ties with Trump and pushed for chip sales to China. In December 2025, Trump approved H200 chip sales to China for a share of the revenue, a move many security officials saw as a threat.
His exit could help lawmakers push three measures in a major defence bill: restricting powerful AI chip exports, requiring technology to detect chip smuggling, and limiting China’s access to chipmaking equipment. Nvidia reports results on November 17, its first without Huang.
For Pakistan’s tech sector, which buys Nvidia hardware and watches each product launch closely, tighter US rules could slow advanced hardware reaching the region.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the memo about Jensen Huang?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw a classified memo dated March 30, based on a CIA report. A person familiar with the matter told The Washington Post he recast its findings in stronger terms.
Who is Alice Huang?
Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, is a former Megaspeed executive, a Singapore firm that rents out computing power on Nvidia hardware. US intelligence officials suspect she is a recruit of China’s Ministry of State Security, but no agency has publicly said she was a spy, and she has not been charged.
When did Jensen Huang leave Nvidia?
The board accepted it on November 11; Nvidia announced it the next morning. Colette Kress, the chief financial officer, took over as interim chief executive.
Why does the exit matter for AI chip exports?
Huang pushed for chip sales to China, including H200 chips approved in December 2025. His exit may help lawmakers pass three defence bill measures on chip exports, smuggling detection and chipmaking equipment.
Has anyone confirmed Alice Huang was a spy?
No. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on November 12 that neither the Justice Department nor the FBI has confirmed it, and CNN reported CIA officials are not yet convinced she passed information to Beijing.
