Nvidia sold powerful chips to a blacklisted Chinese university with strong links to the People's Liberation Army, according to a new report.
Northwestern Polytechnical University bought H200 chips from the company last month, Reuters detailed. The entity is part of the "Seven Sons of National Defense" of Chinese universities and has been blacklisted since 2001 over alleged involvement in missile-proliferation activities and military research. The restrictions were tightened in 2019.
The outlet went on to detail that the H200 model is among Nvidia's most capable for training and running advanced AI systems. It is subjected to U.S. export license approvals. Blacklisted entities tend to see rejections. The university in question conducts research related to military aircraft, missiles and satellites.
The development comes as company CEO Jensen Huang is facing increased scrutiny over allegations that he was targeted by Chinese intelligence.
The company said it had no reason to believe U.S. national security or its corporate secrets had been compromised and expressed confidence in Huang's leadership. He remains CEO and has agreed to cooperate with the investigation being conducted by the FBI.
Huang, 63, oversees Nvidia's strategy, product development and relationships with major technology customers. His role has become particularly important as demand for AI chips has surged among companies building data centers.
The company's stock has plunged since the news surfaced, with questions also arising about Huang's potential succession.
Among Nvidia's senior executives, Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress is one of the most familiar names to investors.
Kress has held the position since September 2013 and regularly represents Nvidia during earnings calls and investor conferences. She previously held senior finance positions at Microsoft, Cisco and Texas Instruments and has helped oversee Nvidia's finances through the rapid expansion of its data-center business.
Her experience is primarily in finance rather than chip design or engineering, although she is among the company's longest-serving senior executives.
Other members of Nvidia's executive leadership team include Nick Parker, executive vice president of worldwide field operations; Debora Shoquist, executive vice president of operations; and Tim Teter, executive vice president and general counsel.
Parker joined Nvidia in August 2026 after 26 years at Microsoft, where he most recently served as executive vice president and chief business officer of worldwide sales and solutions.
Shoquist, who joined Nvidia in 2007, oversees manufacturing, supply chains and logistics. Teter, a former engineer who joined the company in 2017, leads its legal operations.
Another senior figure is Ian Buck, a longtime Nvidia executive who helped develop CUDA, the computing platform central to the company's AI business.
Buck has been mentioned in outside discussions of potential successors because of his technical background and experience leading Nvidia's accelerated computing operations. The company, however, has not publicly designated him or any other executive as Huang's replacement.
Unlike many large corporations, Nvidia operates with a relatively flat management structure, giving Huang direct access to senior technical executives rather than relying on multiple layers of management.
Nvidia has not publicly disclosed a detailed CEO succession plan, although its board could have confidential arrangements for an emergency transition.
Huang also owns approximately 3.6% of Nvidia, making him one of its largest individual shareholders. He does not, however, hold special voting shares that would give him independent control over board decisions.
