Key facts
- Super Micro confirmed two employees at its Taiwan unit have been detained.
- Two other employees have been released on bail following questioning.
- The investigation concerns the alleged illegal export of advanced AI servers containing Nvidia chips.
- Super Micro stated it is not a target of the investigation.
- The company is cooperating with Taiwanese authorities and has placed the employees on administrative leave.
Super Micro announced on Wednesday that two employees at its Taiwan unit have been detained and two others released on bail as part of an ongoing investigation by Taiwanese prosecutors into the alleged illegal export of advanced AI servers containing Nvidia chips. The servers are subject to U.S. export controls prohibiting their sale to China.
The four employees were among six individuals questioned earlier this week when prosecutors conducted a second round of searches at 12 locations, including the homes of suspects and offices of three companies: Super Micro Taiwan, its distributor Albatron Technology, and data centre operator Chief Telecom. The questioning and searches were related to alleged document forgery and breach of trust.
In a letter to customers, Super Micro Chief Revenue Officer Matthew Thauberger confirmed the detention and bail status of the employees, stating that the company is not a target of the investigation and has been cooperating with authorities for several months. Super Micro has provided access to employee devices and placed the four on administrative leave.
This development follows a similar investigation in May that led to the detention of three individuals suspected of illegally exporting Super Micro's AI servers. In March, the U.S. Justice Department charged three people associated with Super Micro, including a co-founder, for allegedly smuggling over $2.5 billion worth of U.S. AI technology to China in violation of export laws. Taiwan, a major producer of advanced chips, has been strengthening export controls to prevent sensitive technology from reaching China.