Four Charged in Nvidia GPU Export; CEO Accused, Nvidia Posts USD 57 B Revenue
Federal agents just unsealed an indictment that names four people accused of moving Nvidia’s high-end AI processors out of the United States without the licenses the law requires. The case zeroes in on a tiny Alabama firm that builds AI-focused data-center gear, and prosecutors say its chief executive coordinated sales that broke export rules aimed at China. The timing feels odd - the charges land right after Nvidia reported a record $57 billion in quarterly revenue, a number that shows how central its GPUs have become for AI work at home and abroad.
So far, only one suspect is behind bars; the other three and the CEO remain free but face criminal counts. The filing in the U.S. District Court sketches the alleged scheme and hints at a wider pattern of illegal chip shipments that could ripple through the tech supply chain.
The Alabama CEO is accused of selling Nvidia GPUs in violation of export rules. Nvidia just posted that $57 billion revenue record on Wednesday. According to the court documents, just one person has been arrested, while the four named remain under indictment.
The CEO of an Alabama AI infrastructure company has been accused of selling Nvidia GPUs for illegal exports. Nvidia, which reported quarterly earnings of a record $57 billion in revenue on Wednesday. According to the documents, only one person has been arrested so far, while the four are facing charges including smuggling, conspiracy, and money laundering. The four people charged -- Mathew Ho, Brian Curtis Raymond, Tony Li, and Harry Chen -- allegedly conspired to export the GPUs starting in late 2023, including shipping 50 of Nvidia's coveted H200 GPUs, and several batches of the earlier H100 GPUs without a license.
Four people have been slapped with federal charges for allegedly moving Nvidia GPUs and HP supercomputers that use those chips into China, according to a recent filing. Only one of them is behind bars so far; the other three are still at large, or at least we don’t know their whereabouts. Nvidia just announced a record $57 billion in quarterly revenue, which shows how big the business is even though U.S.
export rules keep its top-end AI-training processors out of Chinese hands. Still, Chinese outfits like DeepSeek keep pushing out rival models - the R1 that appeared earlier this year is a case in point - so the bans haven’t completely stopped local development. Adding a corporate twist, the CEO of an Alabama-based AI-infrastructure firm is among those accused of helping the illegal shipments.
I’m not sure whether the case will end in convictions or spark more enforcement moves. As the courtroom drama plays out, we’ll probably see clearer signals about how Nvidia’s supply chain and China’s AI goals are affected.
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Common Questions Answered
Who are the four individuals charged with illegally exporting Nvidia GPUs to China?
The indictment names Mathew Ho, Brian Curtis Raymond, Tony Li, and Harry Chen as the four individuals accused of conspiring to smuggle Nvidia GPUs and HP supercomputers to China. They face charges including smuggling, conspiracy, and money laundering.
What role did the CEO of the Alabama AI infrastructure company play in the Nvidia GPU export case?
Prosecutors allege that the CEO orchestrated sales of Nvidia's high‑end AI processors without the required export licenses, effectively violating U.S. export controls aimed at China. This alleged misconduct is central to the smuggling and conspiracy charges against the four defendants.
How does Nvidia's reported $57 billion quarterly revenue relate to the export control violations?
Nvidia's record $57 billion revenue underscores the commercial significance of its AI‑training GPUs, which are subject to strict U.S. export controls. The alleged illegal shipments highlight the tension between the company's market demand and regulatory restrictions on selling powerful chips to Chinese buyers.
What is the current custody status of the individuals charged in the Nvidia GPU export indictment?
According to the court filing, only one of the four suspects has been taken into custody so far, while the whereabouts or detention status of the remaining three individuals remain unclear. Authorities continue to investigate and may seek additional arrests.