Jensen Huang has quit Nvidia. The Senate now wants him under oath by 3 December, and the Commerce Secretary with him

The man who built Nvidia into the engine of the AI boom will spend December answering to Congress.

Senate Banking Committee chairman Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, has written to Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick asking both to give evidence. The letter to Huang asks him to appear at a public hearing on 3 December and says the committee is prepared to “use all tools at our disposal”, including subpoenas, if he does not.

“The American people deserve answers,” Scott said.

Huang resigned as Nvidia’s chief executive this week after reports of extramarital affairs, including one with a woman US authorities suspect of spying for China. President Donald Trump has said the FBI is investigating that relationship, while also calling Huang “honourable”. China has denied any involvement. Chief financial officer Colette Kress is running the company as interim chief executive.

Why is a banking committee involved?

Because it oversees export controls. Scott’s letter to Huang cites the committee’s jurisdiction over those rules, including how they apply to Nvidia’s sales of advanced semiconductors. His letters frame the inquiry around national security and the possibility that sensitive technology reached China.

The committee is also asking Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler, who runs the export-control system, to appear on 3 December.

Why is Lutnick in the frame?

Lawmakers accuse the Commerce Department of refusing to add dozens of Chinese companies to the US trade blacklist and of leaving gaps that let high-end chips reach China. Senator Elizabeth Warren, the committee’s senior Democrat, said Lutnick and Kessler must explain why those loopholes remain open. Republican senator Jim Banks said Lutnick had defied a presidential directive.

A spokesperson said Lutnick had agreed to appear voluntarily. Reported dates for his appearance differ between 3 and 10 December.

Louisiana Republican John Kennedy summed up the mood in the Senate, calling the affair an “intergalactic freak show”.

Who else wants Huang?

Three House committees. The chairs of Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and the select committee on China have asked Huang and Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter to appear at hearings on 1 and 2 December, also under threat of subpoena. In a joint letter they wrote that “clear national security concerns” must be dealt with immediately.

Inside the company, Nvidia’s board has its own investigation under way, led by Joon H. Kim, a former acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

What does it mean for Australian investors?

Nvidia is one of the biggest single holdings in the US share market, so most Australians own some through their super. A typical S&P 500 index fund holds roughly US$6,400 of Nvidia for every US$100,000 invested. With the company’s value now below US$4 trillion, the hearings add a political risk to the stock that has nothing to do with selling chips.

China, meanwhile, is pushing back on talk of tighter rules. A foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Friday that Beijing opposes “the abuse of export control measures”, warning stricter controls could disrupt global supply chains.

VNN will update this story as more is confirmed.