Singaporean authorities held the passport of Alice Huang, the former chief executive of Megaspeed, for eight months starting in June 2025 as part of an investigation into the potential shipment of advanced Nvidia chips to China. Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry confirmed it returned the passport in February 2026 after authorities were unable to charge Huang with a crime, though she has been barred from re-entering the country.
The investigation, launched in February 2025, centers on whether Huang and Megaspeed worked with California-based Supermicro to ship computer servers equipped with Nvidia chips to China. Since 2022, the U.S. has restricted the export of high-powered Nvidia chips to China on national security grounds. According to the Home Affairs Ministry, Huang provided "inaccurate information" regarding her role at Megaspeed.
According to a source cited by CBS News, Singaporean officials reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI on several occasions starting in July 2025, seeking cooperation to determine where Supermicro's servers were delivered. The source stated that Washington was "not forthcoming" and provided no substantive assistance during the eight months Huang was held. The Home Affairs Ministry noted that Supermicro provided only "limited cooperation."
The scale of the investigation includes six other individuals linked to Megaspeed who are currently wanted for questioning by Singaporean police, including one Singaporean citizen and five foreigners. Additionally, Singapore has charged five other people in a separate but concurrent fraud conspiracy case related to suspected Nvidia chip transfers, including one Chinese national charged on Friday, November 13. While a New York Times report suggested Malaysia rented data center use to China rather than shipping chips, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated on November 13 that there is no indication chips were re-exported from his country.
The impact for market participants includes potential federal and congressional investigations into Nvidia’s dealings. Republican lawmakers have not been cited as the specific group pushing for testimony, but cognitive scientist Gary Marcus stated lawmakers need answers about what information Huang shared and why U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had not intervened earlier. What happens next depends on these legislative inquiries and the independent findings of the Singaporean government, which has stated it will continue to take enforcement action where evidence warrants. No trial dates for the individuals currently charged have been reported.