Lori Huang, the wife of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, could potentially be entitled to half his $125 billion fortune if they get divorced following his affair with a woman believed to be a spy, as it's unclear if there's a prenuptial agreement.As SFist reported Sunday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledge d having an extramarital affair with a woman named Alice Huang, who is reportedly suspected by the US government of having ties to Chinese intelligence. The revelation prompted Nvidia's board to launch an independent investigation into whether the relationship could have exposed the company's closely guarded trade secrets or helped China obtain restricted AI chips. According to the outlet KuCoin, the incident also sent Nvidia shares tumbling, wiping out an estimated $180 billion in market value in after-hours trading.In an internal message to employees later made public, Huang apologized to his wife, Lori Huang, their children, and Nvidia employees, acknowledging that his actions had caused them pain."I was unfaithful to my wife,” Huang wrote, per KuCoin. “My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," The Nvidia board said it had no current reason to believe that national security or the company's trade secrets had been compromised, but that a special committee of independent directors, working with outside legal counsel, would examine the available information. Huang has agreed to cooperate with the investigation, and the board reaffirmed its confidence in him and his leadership team. Nvidia's Head of Public Policy Communications, John Rizzo, also said the investigation would not affect company operations.The stakes are considerable given Huang's position in the AI industry and Nvidia's role in supplying some of the world's most sought-after chips. The company makes advanced processors that are subject to US export restrictions limiting sales to China over concerns about their potential military and national security applications, as previously reported. Huang, meanwhile, has become one of the industry's most prominent public representatives, appearing alongside President Donald Trump and other world leaders to promote the technology.Huang's reported relationship with Alice Huang has raised questions about whether she could have used their involvement to obtain access to sensitive company information or help China acquire restricted chips. Those allegations have not been established, and the board says its investigation will examine whether any information or technology was compromised.The controversy also comes as Nvidia shares face renewed scrutiny from investors. Forbes valued Huang's fortune at approximately $155.2 billion Monday, down from an estimated $162.2 billion the previous day, briefly knocking him out of the world's 10 richest people. Nearly all of his wealth is tied to Nvidia stock, in which he holds an approximately 3.4% stake, making him the company's largest individual shareholder.But the potential financial fallout extends beyond the stock market. Huang, 63, has been married to Lori Huang (née Mills) since 1985, and they have two children, both of whom work at Nvidia. The couple married eight years before Huang co-founded the company in 1993, meaning much of the fortune he accumulated through Nvidia could be considered marital property.Under California's community property laws, assets acquired during a marriage are generally divided equally in a divorce, unless a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement specifies otherwise, according to Forbes. Based on publicly disclosed holdings, an estimated 671 million Nvidia shares, worth approximately $125.2 billion, are held directly by Huang, through a jointly held revocable living trust, and through six LLCs owned by that trust. Assuming those holdings are all deemed community property, Lori could theoretically receive half, or approximately 335 million shares worth $62.6 billion at the company's November 7 closing price.That would make a potential settlement one of the largest billionaire divorces in history, exceeding the approximately $36 billion in Amazon shares MacKenzie Scott received when she divorced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. Approximately 140 million additional Nvidia shares, worth more than $26 billion, are held in two irrevocable trusts reportedly intended for the couple's children, making their division more complicated. KuCoin reports that the couple also owns three properties in Los Altos Hills, Maui, and San Francisco's Gold Coast, collectively valued at $70 million to $95 million.Huang has credited Lori with helping build Nvidia and managing their household finances, though it's unclear whether they signed a prenup or postnuptial agreement, per Forbes. Any divorce settlement could involve cash or other assets rather than transferring hundreds of millions of shares, and the $62.6 billion estimate remains hypothetical. Neither has announced plans to divorce.Previously: Nvidia to Investigate CEO Amid Allegations He Was Foreign Intelligence Target ...read more read less