A 'Sexpionage' Playbook: Russian Ex-Spy On How Agents Get Close To CEOs

A former Russian intelligence operative has alleged that the controversy surrounding Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang and Alice Huang, a former director of Singapore-based technology company Megaspeed, bears the hallmarks of a honey-trap operation orchestrated by Chinese intelligence agencies.

Aliia Roza, who claims to have worked in Russian intelligence specialising in covert operations, social engineering and psychological manipulation, told NDTV that the relationship between the two should be examined as a possible case of corporate espionage. 

Her allegations come amid an extraordinary controversy involving Nvidia, the world's most valuable artificial intelligence chipmaker, and its former chief executive Jensen Huang. Alice Huang, whose background and personal details remain largely unclear, has been accused of being a Chinese spy who allegedly used her relationship with the technology executive to obtain sensitive corporate information for Beijing. China has denied that she is a spy.

READ | Nvidia Ex-CEO Jensen Huang To Face US Congress Amid 'Spy' Affair Scandal

Megaspeed, the Singapore-based technology company where Alice Huang previously served as a director, was reportedly involved in transactions involving billions of dollars' worth of advanced artificial intelligence chips. 

Nationwide@6 with @Ankit_Tyagi01 | "I was rolled into special programme which is honeytrap," says Aliia Roza, a former Russian secret agent, as she recalls how her journey began https://t.co/2EHAB0mwGI

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Roza, who now lives in the United States and says she advises corporate executives on recognising manipulation and preventing honey-trap operations, told NDTV that the circumstances surrounding Huang's relationship with Alice Huang were consistent with techniques she had encountered during her claimed intelligence career.

"Let's be logical and see facts here. Apparently, Alice Huang's husband, Kang Wei, in 2010 met Jensen Huang, who founded a company in gaming. And years later, by the way, he was detained over suspected stock manipulation and was under police investigation. Years later, he brought his wife, Alice Huang, to meet Jensen Huang. And that's what we see in social engineering. When somebody comes through a mutual contact, somebody we trust, somebody not random from the street, that's what we see in the Alice Huang case," Roza told NDTV. 

READ | "Deer In Headlights": Jensen Huang Once Mocked Nvidia's Now Interim CEO

"And then she established this intimate romantic relationship with Jensen Huang, according to all the reports, all the video footage we see online, where she in 2024 and 2025, had intimate dinners with Jensen Huang, where she kissed him, and they maintained strong eye contact, and went to the same car. So we can see that there is obviously no business relationship, as Jensen Huang says," she added.

She also referred to reports that Huang had another extramarital relationship with a Nvidia executive, identified in the interview as Kimberly Powell. The allegations surrounding his personal life, she argued, raised questions about the vulnerabilities of a corporate leader whose professional responsibilities extended well beyond the company itself.

READ | 'I'm A Piece Of Sh*t': Inside Jensen Huang's Final Hours As Nvidia CEO

"If a man in such a position, so intelligent, is being unfaithful to his wife, we have a question. Can he really be faithful to the country, to national security?" she asked.

How A Honey-Trap Operation Works

Roza said she was introduced to the world of intelligence through her father, whom she described as a high-ranking military officer. She told NDTV that her first exposure to the work came when her father took her to a criminal investigation department dealing with human trafficking and drug trafficking. 

"In the beginning, I was introduced to this military world because my father, who was at that time a high-ranking officer, brought me to the criminal investigation department, fighting human and drug trafficking. And then I was enrolled on a special programme -- honey trap -- where we learned about psychological techniques such as the art of seduction, persuasion, influence, the art of communication, how to install programmes into your target's brain and anchoring techniques," she told NDTV.

READ | The History Of Honeytrap And How Spies Turn Love Into A Weapon

Roza said she now uses the knowledge she claims to have acquired during that period to teach others how to identify manipulation and recognise situations in which personal relationships could be used to compromise them.

"With Alice Huang, she entered his (Jensen Huang's) world, not like a random woman. She came with a business offer. She was director of Megaspeed, as we know. And Megaspeed bought chips in significant amounts. So the relationship starts from trust, from likeability, building the emotional bond and having business goals together. And then on top of that, the intimacy, which actually creates an even stronger bond," Roza said.

She added that powerful business leaders were increasingly attractive targets for intelligence services, criminals and other individuals seeking access to sensitive information.

What Information Could A Honey-Trap Op Extract?

According to Roza, the most important objective in a honey-trap operation was to establish a relationship in which the target gradually became comfortable discussing matters that would ordinarily remain within professional or restricted circles.

She described conversations between intimate partners as a potential source of sensitive information, particularly when individuals begin sharing details about their professional lives without considering the implications.

READ | Alice Huang-Founded Chinese Company Acquired Banned Nvidia Chips: Report

"When we trust someone and when we sleep with someone, there are so many pillow talks, and we don't know what Jensen Huang shared with Alice Huang," she said.

But she stressed that the objective could be to build a long-term relationship that eventually allowed an operative to influence the target's decisions.

"The most important thing in the honey-trap profession is to establish a long-term trusting relationship where the agent can influence decisions of the target. And that's what we can see in this case, because at the moment we don't know, because there is an investigation," she said.

Roza added that investigators should examine the people and professional relationships that brought Alice Huang and Jensen Huang together. She specifically identified Alice Huang's husband Ken Wei as someone whose background and connections deserved scrutiny.

READ | Nvidia Employees Rally For Jensen Huang To Return. Will Board Allow It?

"First of all, I would check Ken Wei because obviously he was the main figure in the introduction. Who is this person? Especially since he already had these allegations and police investigations," she said.

According to her, the most important elements were establishing trust, creating emotional dependence and gradually developing enough influence to affect the target's decisions.