Skip to content

Business & MarketsDeveloping

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledges affair with woman alleged to be Chinese spy

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, mostly left-leaning (60%).

6 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Man in black leather jacket gesturing on stage before a large blue backdrop with lights.
Image via The New York TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Sunday that he had an affair with a woman alleged to be a Chinese intelligence asset. The Guardian reports that Huang called the affair “no excuse,” and that the episode has raised questions about possible harm to US security. CNBC reports that the affair has put Nvidia’s ties to the Trump administration under scrutiny as the company faces heightened attention. The New York Times says the affair has put a spotlight on companies smuggling AI chips into China. Breitbart reports that President Trump called Huang a fine person and said you never know what’s going on.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Huang said he had an affair with a woman alleged to be a Chinese intelligence asset.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times, The Guardian
    Center
    CNBC
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  2. Huang’s close ties to President Trump are drawing scrutiny.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    CNBC

  3. The New York Times says the affair has spotlighted companies that smuggle AI chips into China.

    One outletThe New York Times· Left

  4. President Trump said Huang is ‘a fine person, but you never know what’s going on.’

    One outletBreitbart News· Far Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides present report that Huang acknowledged an affair with a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy. The left stresses security risk and Trump ties, the center stresses Nvidia’s Trump ties and scrutiny, and the right stresses Trump’s praise of Huang.

  • the left

    4 outlets

    Left outlets frame the affair as a possible security risk tied to Huang’s relationship with Trump, while the NYT headline labels it neutrally as The Nvidia Affair.

    The AI poster boy, the ‘Chinese spy’ and Trump: how an affair may have harmed US security
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    CNBC’s headline centers on Nvidia’s Trump ties and the company’s growing scrutiny, with the report of Chinese intelligence targeting Huang as the trigger.

    Nvidia’s Trump ties draw scrutiny after reports Huang was targeted by Chinese intelligence
    CNBCCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The right is covered by one Far Right outlet, Breitbart, whose headline leads with Trump’s praise of Huang as an ‘honorable guy’ and pairs it with the suspected spy.

    WATCH: Trump Calls Nvidia CEO an 'Honorable Guy' amid Affair with Suspected Chinese Spy, 'But You Never Know What's Going On'
    Breitbart NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left2

    illicit relationshipmurky ecosystem

  • Center1

    unparalleled relationship

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    unparalleled relationshipMore neutral: close relationship

    Calling the relationship unparalleled asserts a superlative the article does not support.

    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has spent the last two years cultivating an unparalleled relationship with President Donald Trump, gaining extraordinary access and influence over…

    Used byCNBC (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    illicit relationshipMore neutral: extramarital relationship

    The word illicit judges the relationship as unlawful, which the description does not establish; the affair itself is the reported fact.

    An illicit relationship between the C.E.O.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Sensational language

    murky ecosystemMore neutral: network

    The word murky adds a negative judgement about the companies involved that the description does not document.

    and an alleged Chinese spy is putting the spotlight on a murky ecosystem of companies smuggling A.I.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

4 outlets

Leads with

  • security risks of the affair
  • Huang’s relationship with Trump
  • chip smuggling into China

Leaves out

  • Trump’s public praise of Huang

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 4 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • ABC NewsLeft

    WATCH: Inside the shadowy world of counterespionage

    International Spy Museum's executive director Col. Chris Costa discusses the possible tactics the suspected Chinese spy used in the Nvidia scandal.

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)
  • Business InsiderLeft

    Jensen Huang's affair, the AI boom, and weapons of mass distraction

    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's scandal could stop GPU supplies to China, leaving more supply for America's AI boom.

    Read at Business Insider (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    The Nvidia Affair

    An Loaded modifier“illicit relationship”The word illicit judges the relationship as unlawful, which the description does not establish; the affair itself is the reported fact.More neutral: extramarital relationshipDisagree with this highlight? between the C.E.O. and an alleged Chinese spy is putting the spotlight on a Sensational language“murky ecosystem”The word murky adds a negative judgement about the companies involved that the description does not document.More neutral: networkDisagree with this highlight? of companies smuggling A.I. chips into China.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    The AI poster boy, the ‘Chinese spy’ and Trump: how an affair may have harmed US security

    Jensen Huang’s close relationship with president means Nvidia CEO’s affair with woman alleged to be working for Beijing is a big deal A hand on the back, a kiss on the cheek; the footage of Alice Huang’s interaction with Jensen Huang in a Taipei venue last year does not seem …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Nvidia’s ties to Trump
  • scrutiny of the company
  • alleged Chinese intelligence targeting
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • CNBCCenter

    Nvidia’s Trump ties draw scrutiny after reports Huang was targeted by Chinese intelligence

    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's extramarital affair with an alleged Chinese spy comes as the company is already about to face heightened scrutiny.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Trump’s praise for Huang
  • suspected Chinese spy
  • investigation into the affair
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    WATCH: Trump Calls Nvidia CEO an 'Honorable Guy' amid Affair with Suspected Chinese Spy, 'But You Never Know What's Going On'

    President Trump said the Nvidia CEO 'is a fine person, but you never know what's going on' amid an investigation into his affair with a suspected Chinese spy.

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    1 hr 28 min later

    Its first report, Nov 9, 3:01 PM EST

  • Center

    2 hr 17 min later

    Its first report, Nov 9, 3:49 PM EST

  • Right

    First to report

    Breitbart News, Nov 9, 1:32 PM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Breitbart NewsFar RightNov 9, 1:32 PM EST
  2. The GuardianLeftNov 9, 3:01 PM EST
  3. CNBCCenterNov 9, 3:49 PM EST
  4. The New York TimesLeftNov 9, 3:52 PM EST
  5. Business InsiderLeftNov 9, 4:23 PM EST
  6. ABC NewsLeftNov 9, 4:25 PM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it
Embed

Show this story’s coverage card on your own site, blog or class page. It has the headline, who is covering it and a link back here, and it tracks nobody. See the card

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page