Independent directors on NVIDIA’s board have hired a former senior US federal prosecutor to help investigate the relationship between chief executive Jensen Huang and a businesswoman accused of spying for China.
According to a company statement released on Tuesday (10 November), NVIDIA’s board has hired Joon H. Kim (Kim Jun-hyun in Korean), a partner at law firm Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, to “conduct a thorough and independent investigation”.
Kim’s LinkedIn page shows that he served in the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 2013 to 2018, including a stint as acting US attorney.
He left Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in October 2026 and immediately joined Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Kim was a lead investigator into sexual harassment allegations against former New York governor Andrew Cuomo. His investigation will focus on whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation, whether NVIDIA’s confidential information was leaked and whether US national security was compromised.
The report also said Kim, the son of a diplomat, has a legal career dating back to at least 1996. Besides his involvement in the Cuomo case, he also handled the trial of Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla.
Bloomberg reported that Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz is one of New York’s leading law firms, while Joon H. Kim is highly regarded in the legal profession for his tenacious and meticulous approach to investigations.
Michael McGovern, a former federal prosecutor now at law firm Ropes & Gray, said Kim was an “excellent choice” to lead the investigation.
McGovern said: “His findings are beyond reproach and backed by ample evidence… He leaves no stone unturned.”
NVIDIA shares fell on Tuesday afternoon after the board announced its choice of lawyer, but recovered slightly by the close to US$168.89 (about S$216), down 5.47% overall.
NVIDIA’s board announced last Sunday (8 November) that it would investigate Huang to establish whether he had been targeted by a foreign intelligence agency.
Meanwhile, Huang has publicly admitted to an extramarital affair. Alice Huang, who has been named as his alleged affair partner, is reportedly suspected by the US government of having spied for Chinese intelligence agencies.
