US Senate committee subpoenas ex-Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Lutnick over China chip sales

Senate Banking Committee chair Tim Scott has summoned former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify publicly in December over concerns that advanced Nvidia chips may have reached China in violation of US export controls.

Scott, a Republican, threatened Huang with a compelled subpoena if he does not appear voluntarily. A Commerce Department spokesperson confirmed to NBC that Lutnick had already agreed to testify.

Huang resigned as Nvidia chief executive on Thursday after reports emerged that he had an affair with a woman from China who, according to US security agencies, may have been recruited by Chinese intelligence. The woman worked at one point for Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company that US authorities suspected of covertly shipping Nvidia-purchased AI chips to China. US media reported that Nvidia supplied Megaspeed with technology worth around four billion dollars.

Export controls on high-performance chips fall under Lutnick's remit at the Commerce Department, putting him under pressure from legislators across party lines. Democrats are also demanding answers about what President Donald Trump knew of the affair and when.

Huang had publicly argued against blanket chip-sale restrictions, contending that selling to China bound Beijing to US technology rather than spurring rival AI development.