The unsettling reality that the Nvidia spy scandal exposed as honeypot traps skyrocket

High-profile tech tycoons driven by sex, money and ego have become prime targets for sophisticated honeypot traps from foreign enemies — and the stakes have never been higher, experts warned.Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy revealed just how easy it is to compromise important individuals who, despite their access to national security secrets, don’t undergo rigorous background checks or mandatory foreign-contact reporting like government and military officials.Toby Braun, founder of the American Special Investigative Group, said his firm has seen honeypot traps skyrocket in recent years, with women luring powerful men to casually give up their secrets.“We’ve seen a 60-70% rise in blackmail cases over the past two years involving very powerful executives,” Braun told The Post.“And we are only expecting it to grow in the middle of this AI race,” he warned.“An affair can destroy a marriage, but this kind of thing can destroy national security.” When it comes to people as important as Huang, who heads one of America’s top companies and has a close relationship with President Trump, the federal government tries to prepare them for acts of foreign espionage.“All these CEOs get training from law enforcement about counter-espionage,” Braun said.

“Especially big tech CEOs working for the government.”But because they live in the private world, these executives aren’t treated like high-ranking federal employees who are subject to thorough background checks, polygraphs, financial audits, and mandatory foreign-contact reporting.Instead, these executives are allowed to roam free with state secrets and influence, all while receiving very little pushback from their handlers.“What fascinated me was the cult of personality surrounding CEOs,” said Paul Eckloff, a retired US Secret Service agent.

“It’s never been more pronounced than it is today.“We trust these people to know everything,” he added.

“In this ca...