California Man Accused of Smuggling $300 Million Nvidia AI Chips to China

A California technology company owner has been accused of smuggling over $300 million worth of Nvidia AI chips to China, allegedly using false paperwork and routing equipment through Malaysia and Singapore to evade US export controls.

Greg Lui, 38, the owner of Earthmade Computer Inc., faces charges of conspiring to violate export controls, outbound smuggling, and money-laundering conspiracy. The allegations remain unproven, and he is presumed innocent.

The case concerns restrictions introduced in October 2022 by Washington covering advanced computing chips, computers containing them, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. These measures aim to limit China's access to technology capable of supporting military systems and supercomputers.