By Xinghui Kok and Rajasik Mukherjee
SINGAPORE, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Singapore seized the passport of Alice Huang in 2025 while investigating the Chinese businesswoman, who is at the heart of the scandal that brought down Nvidia's CEO, and received "limited" help from the US in its probe into AI chip deals, its home affairs ministry said on Thursday.
Nvidia said on Thursday co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang had resigned, following reports the 63-year-old had two extramarital affairs, including one with
Alice Huang, whom US authorities suspect of spying for Beijing.
Singapore's home affairs ministry said the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) carried out a shipment verification check at Singapore-based Nvidia customer Megaspeed in June 2025, with its then-CEO Alice Huang present.
It was the first time Singapore learned of Washington's interest in Megaspeed and Huang, and the police interviewed her and impounded her passport on the same day, the ministry said.
Alice Huang was investigated "for suspected involvement in the possible offences in Singapore, given her position as then-CEO, Chairperson, and one of the key controllers of Megaspeed," the ministry said. It said the investigation did not concern espionage.
Singapore had opened an independent investigation into several companies in February 2025, including cloud computing firm Megaspeed, over potential false declarations in the purchase of servers and other related offences. It said Singapore had also been looking into US AI server maker Super Micro Computer, without elaborating on whether it was related to the Megaspeed case.
Three people associated with Super Micro, including one of its co-founders, were charged in March by US prosecutors with helping smuggle billions of dollars of AI chips to China through Southeast Asia and Taiwan.
The ministry said Super Micro had provided limited cooperation, leading Singapore to make repeated requests to the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for help in securing the company's cooperation.
"Despite these repeated requests, Singapore has to date received limited information or assistance in respect of the company," it said.
INVESTIGATION ONGOING
Alice Huang was investigated for possible offences including buying servers that were exported via Singapore to Malaysia without entering the Singapore market.
The ministry said there was insufficient evidence to establish that Alice Huang had committed any offences, but it said she had provided police with "information, which she knew to be inaccurate" during the investigation and had downplayed her role in Megaspeed.
She left Singapore in February when Singapore returned her passport and was banned from re-entering the country, it said.
Alice Huang could not be reached for comment.
She is currently living in Beijing with the knowledge of security officials, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday that the Justice Department has not yet reached a conclusion on whether Alice Huang was a Chinese spy.
The home affairs ministry said investigations into Megaspeed and six individuals were ongoing.
It said the city-state would "not allow companies or individuals to misuse Singapore's business environment to engage in fraud or dishonest practices," and would cooperate with foreign authorities where appropriate.
Washington has also investigated Megaspeed over suspicions it helped China obtain advanced AI chips restricted under US export controls, according to media reports.
Megaspeed said on Thursday it takes compliance obligations under US export control laws "extremely seriously", adding that it has cooperated with US inspections.
(Reporting by Xinghui Kok in Singapore and Rajasik Mukherjee in Bangalore; Editing by Miyoung Kim, Joe Bavier and Sonali Paul)
