Nvidia legal executive reportedly contacted US Commerce Department; Megaspeed investigation subsequently restricted

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An Nvidia legal executive reportedly contacted the US Commerce Department, after which the Megaspeed chip investigation was restricted and transferred to the Justice Department.

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[Nvidia Knew Huang Le Was Under Investigation Early On; Legal Executive Contacted US Commerce Department]

Nvidia learned as early as 2025 that Huang Le had been detained by Singapore police and proactively contacted senior US Commerce Department officials to inquire about the situation. Weeks later, US officials investigating suspected chip smuggling by her affiliated company Megaspeed began facing strict restrictions, and by the end of the year the Commerce Department was ordered to stop its investigation. 2025 In late summer BIS, Nvidia General Counsel Tim Teter called US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler directly to ask whether the Bureau of Industry and Security (AI), which Kessler oversaw, had been involved in Singapore police's detention of Huang Le. At the time, Huang Le had been questioned by Singapore police and barred from leaving the country, while the US Commerce Department was investigating whether Megaspeed had improperly transshipped Nvidia BIS chips. Weeks after the call, 2025 investigators were given new instructions requiring them to go through Kessler or obtain his approval before contacting Nvidia; they were not even allowed to mention Megaspeed or its Malaysian subsidiary by name when conducting inquiries externally. Teter later requested a direct meeting with investigators but was refused. He then said he had obtained Kessler's permission and did not understand why he was still being refused. Concerned that Nvidia was using its senior-level connections to influence the investigation, the investigators forwarded the email to Kessler. He did not instruct his subordinates to cooperate, responding only that they should handle the case strictly in accordance with the rules. At the end of BIS, the US Department of Justice ordered the Commerce Department to stop its investigation and took over the criminal investigation. People involved in the investigation said that

Key points

Nvidia reportedly learned in 2025 that Huang Le had been detained by Singapore police and asked senior US Commerce Department officials about the situation.
The report said that in late summer 2025, Nvidia General Counsel Tim Teter called US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler to ask whether the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) had been involved in Huang Le's detention.
The report said the US Commerce Department was then investigating whether Megaspeed had improperly transshipped Nvidia AI chips.
According to the report, weeks later,BIS investigators were instructed to go through Kessler or obtain his approval before contacting Nvidia and not to mention Megaspeed or its Malaysian subsidiary when conducting external inquiries.
The report said that at the end of 2025, the US Department of Justice ordered the Commerce Department to stop its investigation and took over the criminal investigation.
Nvidia said it contacted the Commerce Department to provide information, understand regulatory requirements and help prevent illegal chip transshipments. It also said Teter was unaware of the extramarital affair between Jensen Huang and Huang Le when he became involved.

AI-assisted interpretation

The following is analysis, separate from reported facts. Verify important claims independently.

The report describes a US Commerce Department investigation into suspected transshipment of Nvidia chips by Megaspeed, as well as contact between an Nvidia legal executive and Commerce Department officials. It also says the investigation was subject to restrictions on contact and was later taken over by the Justice Department; Nvidia says its contact was intended to support regulatory compliance.

Why it matters to readers

If the reported account of the investigation is confirmed, it could have implications for chip transshipment oversight and interactions between companies and investigative agencies. However, the available information is insufficient to establish that Nvidia broke the law or influenced the investigation.

This is not a confirmed finding of wrongdoing. Readers can monitor whether the Justice Department or Commerce Department publishes investigation results and whether verifiable documents or other evidence emerge.

Risks and unknowns

The material does not include original investigation documents; some details come from accounts by people involved in the investigation.
The report does not provide the conclusion of the Justice Department's criminal investigation or establish whether Nvidia committed violations or interfered with the investigation.
Nvidia's response and the report's account of the relevant events cannot independently verify each other.

Nvidia legal executive reportedly contacted US Commerce Department; Megaspeed investigation subsequently restricted

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