The FBI has begun investigating NVIDIA chief executive Jensen Huang over his relationship with a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy, President Donald Trump said.
Trump spoke with Huang by phone on Sunday and later told reporters at the White House that he had asked whether Huang knew the woman was a spy. Huang replied that he did not, and Trump said he accepted the answer. The president described Huang as a respected figure and expressed hope that no further problems would arise for him.
Reports of the investigation wiped nearly $250 billion off NVIDIA's market value, a drop of about 4 percent.
NVIDIA has said there is no reason to believe company secrets or US national security were compromised by the relationship with the woman, identified as Alice Huang, a managing director at a Singapore-linked firm. The company is conducting its own independent review.
US intelligence agencies regard the woman as a spy working for China. China's foreign ministry has dismissed the allegations as baseless and intended to damage China.
Huang has apologised to his family and pledged full cooperation with investigations. He has also been invited to appear before congressional committees.
NVIDIA is the leading producer of chips critical to artificial intelligence, making its technology a point of intense US-China competition.
