BREAKING: Reuters: Ex-Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had SECOND relationship with a second employee

Free Press, Patrick McGee. Patrick, it's really good to have you. Thanks for joining us. So a second ago, I said how much worse is. this going to get? Reuters is now reporting that he had another. relationship. with another employee, so a second employee, and they're citing two people familiar. Reuters is not naming the second employee. and attempts to reach the woman, according to Reuters, were not successful. So I ask you, how bad is this going to get? Wow. Yeah. Well, this won't seem so argumentative now,

but I would have said Jensen's lost his job, which might lead you to think that this is sort. of the end of it for Jensen. I think this is still kind of the beginning. So not at all surprised that we're learning more. And with him testifying before Congress next week, behind closed doors, unfortunately, because I'm sure you and I would. very much like to watch it. Who knows what's going to come out? I mean, there are so many unanswered questions. We don't know way more than what we do know. So this is, you know, pick your metaphor, tip of the iceberg.

There's so much more we're going to find out. In terms of the board ousting him, he is arguably the only person that could. lead this company. He's the only person that has led this company. There's no succession plan. What does it say to you about what the board. found that made him continuing. untenable? You know, I don't think it was the. initial affair. I mean, as bad as it is to have an affair at all, let alone that it's.

with someone suspected to be a Chinese spy. In other words, like, you know, an asset of our biggest adversary in general, but specifically our biggest adversary. in the world of AI. But the even bigger issue and the big unknown. is that this was someone whose cover was. that she was a top executive. of a Singaporean company that was essentially. acting as a front, these are allegations but. they seem pretty solid, of purchasing Nvidia chipsets and then not just.

leasing them to entities in China, which is what the business was ostensibly doing, but actually actively smuggling them. into the country. And I wish I could say it's a foregone. conclusion that Jensen was not involved, that he wasn't encouraging this. But we don't know that at all. It is very possible that Jensen Huang is. actually guilty of some major crime here. And I, you know, I want to hesitate by. saying that. because we don't know that. But his worldview, what we do know, is one that he believes.

that there should not be any restrictions. on sending NVIDIA chips or other chips to China. He believes in a world where Chinese. entities have just as much access to. cutting edge chips as American firms. And if we know anything about wealthy, powerful figures, particularly men, they don't believe the rules, the norms and often the laws apply to them. So it's possible that he thinks he knew better. Well, we have export controls, again, sending the most powerful chips to China. If he was, and again,

this is a huge if because we do not know, but if he was complicit in this, if he knew what was. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME. SOMEONE WAS TRIED FOR TREASON, BUT I DO THINK THERE'S NO BIGGER. ISSUE THAT CONGRESS NEEDS TO GET. OUT OF HIM WHEN THEY HAVE HIM IN. before Congress next week. I mean, what could be bigger? If you look up the sentences, we're talking 15 to 20 years per count.

It's unimaginable that someone that's worth $200. billion and has led, you know, a sensitive, essentially dual use, but therefore military. technology for America. and put them on the world map in terms. of we are a better AI power than China. I I mean, the idea that he would. actually face. prison time is pretty unimaginable. But the fact that or the probability. that he committed those crimes is. I don't think it's anything close to.

THE BEST CASE SCENARIO IS WHAT HE WAS JUST NOT. SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND THAT'S THE BEST CASE SCENARIO HERE ON THAT. I WANT TO PLAY TOM TILLES. AND HE'S UTTERLY. brilliance, right? Which is why that estranged credulity to think. that that's the best option. Well, let me play. I'm talking about the blast. radius. Let me play Senator Tom Tillis talking. about what the Commerce Department might. have KNOWN. IT SEEMS TO GIVE SOME WEIGHT TO THE IDEA THAT. MAYBE HE HAD UNWITTINGLY BEEN COMPROMISED.

LUTNICK, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYE. HE IS A CABINET, SENATE-CONFIRMED MEMBER. OF THE CABINET AND IF HE WAS AWARE. OF THESE POTENTIAL COMPROMISES. AND DIDN'T BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION. OF THE PRESIDENT, THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND. SENATE ARMED SERVICES OR OTHERS, THEN HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW GOVERNMENT. WORKS AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. IF THERE'S A STORYLINE THAT'S CREDIBLE. THAT HE CAN PRESENT THAT WAY, I'D GET IT DONE BEFORE TURKEY SERVED. THAT'S BEFORE THANKSGIVING.

PATRICK BLASTRADIUS HERE, COULD IT GET BIG? YEAH. I MEAN, LOOK, THERE'S THE POTENTIAL THAT. THIS TAKES. DOWN THE COMMERCE SECRETARY. AGAIN, SPEAKING OF ALL THE UNKNOWNS HERE, IT IS VERY UNCLEAR WHY MEGASPEED, THE COMPANY THAT WAS AFFILIATED WITH ALICE HUANG. I HAVEN'T MENTIONED HER YET, BUT THAT WAS THE CHINESE MISTRESS, WELL, THE CONFIRMED CHINESE MISTRESS, BUT THE ALLEGED SPY. SHE WAS BEHIND THIS COMPANY, AND IT'S UNCLEAR WHY HOWARD. LUTNICK DID NOT HAVE IT, EVEN TODAY, FRANKLY, ADDED TO THE ENTITY LIST,

MEANING THAT PEOPLE, NVIDIA, WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEND THEM. HIGH-END CHIPSETS AFTER U .S. INTELLIGENCE HAD DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SMUGGLING UNITS. INTO CHINA. THE DELAY IS PRETTY UNEXPLAINED, AND YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE LIKE MARCO RUBIO AND. SCOTT BESSENT THAT ARE QUITE UPSET ABOUT THIS. AND SO, YEAH, REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT THE BLUE WAVE MIDTERM CONSEQUENCE, BUT REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS ARE ALSO SEEKING. LUTNIK TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF CONGRESS. THERE'S ALSO A BIG QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR WHY WONG. DIDN'T.

GET A DEFENSIVE BRIEFING TO SAY, HEY, LISTEN, WE'RE GOING TO WARN YOU. THAT THIS WOMAN THAT YOU'RE SEEING. MIGHT NOT BE WHO SHE THAT'S A WEIRD, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENED OR WHY IT HAPPENED. WE'LL SEE IF WE GET THAT. JUST ONE FINAL QUESTION TO YOU, PATRICK. WHY IS IT A BIG deal to send. nvidia's most powerful chips to china. if you look at the china u .s. competition china has a lot. of things over us right far more.

factories far more productivity. in terms of uh electronics you know. drone production any number. of things um think of the batteries. and lithium-ion stuff that they can do. at scale rare earth metals right um. so the china hawks really want to leverage.

the points of leverage that we have. and the doves are basically um having a whole. different world view and to be fair for jensen. at least it makes sense as a business person. he wants Alibaba or Baidu or whoever else is. in China to be built on Chinese architecture. He believes that dependence would not only help. NVIDIA but help America. But a lot of people have a very different. worldview. It's just not a popular worldview in Washington. And the result of this affair is. that the big proponent. of a China dove outlook has just.

been silenced indefinitely. All right, Patrick, it's good to have you. I don't think we have the cover to your book. and I'm sorry for that. But Apple in China is the title of it. The capture of the world's greatest economy. Patrick, thank you for joining us today.