US DOJ Charges Super Micro Co-Founder with Smuggling $2.5B in Nvidia AI Chips to China

The US Department of Justice charged three individuals linked to server maker Super Micro Computer — including co-founder Yih-Shyan 'Wally' Liaw — with conspiring to smuggle approximately $2.5 billion worth of advanced Nvidia AI servers (including B200 and H200 GPUs) to China in violation of export controls. The indictment alleged an elaborate laundering scheme using a Southeast Asian intermediary company, falsified end-user documents, and physical concealment tactics including removing serial numbers with heat guns. Liaw, a US citizen, was arrested; a second defendant Chang remained a fugitive. Super Micro shares fell more than 33%, erasing over $6 billion in market value. The case marked a significant escalation in US export control enforcement under the Trump administration.