DOJ Probes Whether Alice Huang Helped Smuggle Super Micro Computer Products Into China, Sending SMCI Shares Down 14%

Super Micro Computer shares fell as much as 14% on Thursday after Bloomberg reported that the Justice Department is investigating whether entities linked to Alice Huang, the woman U.S. officials suspect of targeting former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as a Chinese spy, were involved in smuggling Super Micro products into China. The probe is being led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan and it remains unclear whether it is connected to existing chip-smuggling cases already before that office.

The investigation adds to a cascade of legal pressure around Super Micro's supply chain. Manhattan prosecutors separately charged Super Micro co-founder Yih-Shyan "Wally" Liaw and two others in March in a $2.5 billion case alleging they conspired to ship Nvidia-powered servers to a Southeast Asian intermediary and divert them to Chinese customers. Liaw has pleaded not guilty and left the company. Super Micro itself is not a defendant in that case and says it has cooperated with authorities.

A Semafor report citing two administration officials said the DOJ is also investigating Megaspeed International, Alice Huang's former company, over suspected chip smuggling, and that separate inquiries could touch Nvidia on potential antitrust grounds. Officials noted there is no indication Nvidia or Jensen Huang will face criminal charges. Super Micro issued a statement denying that Megaspeed has ever been a customer but did not address Alice Huang directly. The company said it has been voluntarily providing information and cooperating with U.S., Taiwanese, and Singapore authorities.