Fact Check: Did Jensen Huang say Chinese hackers can ‘hack offline too’?
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: Amid the controversies surrounding reports that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang had an affair with an alleged Chinese spy, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms claiming that Huang said he realized that Chinese hackers can hack offline too. The claim has sparked laughter and speculation, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Jensen Huang said Chinese hackers can hack offline too
The claim appeared as a post on Instagram, in which Huang allegedly said, “Today I realised Chinese hackers don't even need an internet connection. They can hack you offline too.”
The quote has also spread on X, Facebook, Reddit, and Threads, garnering millions of views as of this writing.
The claim drew mixed reactions, as many believe it was an authentic remark, while others dismissed it as a joke and called for a fact-check.
Fact Check: Jensen Huang made no such remark
However, the claim is false, as no evidence shows Huang made such a remark before or after his scandal surfaced.
There are no official statements, press conferences, or social media posts from Huang in which he made such a remark.
If he had really made such a statement, credible news outlets would have widely covered it, making headlines.
A Google search and other search engines for the claim also yielded no relevant news reports, except for the social media posts sharing the claim.
Jensen Huang facing Congressional scrutiny over spy allegation
The claim surfaced as Huang is facing mounting scrutiny after reports linked him to a businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of working for China, following which Huang admitted to being unfaithful to his wife in an apology to employees.
The allegations surfaced after an investigative report by The New York Times, according to which Alice Huang, a former executive at the Singapore-based cloud company Megaspeed, had an extramarital relationship with Huang and was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information on the Nvidia CEO.
According to the report, she allegedly shared information with Beijing and could have been seeking to influence Nvidia's position on supplying advanced chips to China.
Following this, leaders of three House committees- the House Select Committee on China, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Intelligence Committee- requested a closed-door briefing with the Nvidia CEO to examine his interactions with Alice Huang, the company's relationship with Megaspeed, and safeguards against foreign intelligence gathering.
