By Yi-Chin Lee and Ann Wang
TAIPEI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is drawing both sympathy and disbelief in his birthplace Taiwan, where he has rock star status, after dramatic revelations of his affair with a woman who could have been a Chinese spy.
Whenever he visits, adoring fans and excited reporters follow, hanging on every word from the most prolific salesman of the AI boom, in a trend domestic media call "Jensanity".
Shock at news that both Nvidia's board and the FBI are investigating to determine if Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort is palpable in the small Taipei businesses and restaurants he frequents on trips.
"I thought it must be a lie, or fake news," said Hsiao Kui-yu, whose store selling dried and candied fruit is among Huang's inevitable stops at Taipei's Siping market.
"We think of him as such a good boss, who takes such good care of people. How could something like this happen? Is it possible? I'm very suspicious," Hsiao, 68, told Reuters.
Huang's barber Ray Wang, whose high-end shop is just around the corner from the luxury hotel where Huang often stays, said the two formed a bond when the CEO first visited in 2017.
"Every day I pray for Mr. Huang, hoping he gets through this difficult time," the 57-year-old added. "I really want to write him a letter of encouragement, but I feel this isn't a good time, because he's very busy."
For many, Huang is no ordinary CEO. He's the gatekeeper for Nvidia and the person who sets the long-term strategy and direction for the chip giant that has turned its swelling cash pile into a war chest to fund companies ranging from AI cloud-computing providers and suppliers to the biggest labs.
Any setback for Huang could deprive the AI industry of one of its most vocal champions.
BORN IN TAIWAN
Born in Taiwan's historic capital of Tainan before migrating to the United States as a child, Huang has repeatedly praised its tech companies, including the world's largest contract chipmaker TSMC, for their role in the AI revolution.
The woman suspected of being a spy has previously been pictured with Huang on his visits to Taiwan.
Taiwan's government, ever wary of China in view of Beijing's contested sovereignty claim over the island, has declined so far to directly address the details of the case, especially the espionage aspect.
Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said he could comment on neither Huang nor the woman.
"I have no evidence, nor do I have the authority to investigate," he told reporters at parliament on Tuesday, when asked if he believed the woman was a spy.
Still, it was good that Huang had acknowledged his mistake in having an affair, said academic Liu I-li, as he waited for a table outside a pork knuckle restaurant Huang likes.
"We can't judge a person by just one thing," the 49-year-old added. "We should look at them more comprehensively. Nobody is without flaws."
(Reporting by Yi-Chin Lee and Ann Wang; Writing and additional reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Louise Heavens)
