Taiwan Authorities Detain Two Super Micro Employees in AI Server Investigation
In the latest development, Super Micro announced that Taiwanese prosecutors detained two employees at its local unit pending a court hearing. Authorities released two other workers on bail after questioning them about the alleged illegal export of advanced artificial intelligence servers containing Nvidia chips. These specialized servers face strict United States export controls that completely prohibit shipments to China.
The four workers were among six individuals questioned when the Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office launched a second round of searches. Investigators look into alleged document forgery and breach of trust. Law enforcement searched twelve locations, including the suspects’ homes and the offices of three corporations: Super Micro Taiwan, its local distributor Albatron Technology, and data center operator Chief Telecom.
In a letter to customers, Super Micro Chief Revenue Officer Matthew Thauberger clarified that the four employees faced questioning regarding product sales to a Taiwanese technology company. Thauberger stressed that Super Micro is not a target of this probe. He noted that the firm has cooperated with Taiwanese authorities for several months, granting them full access to the workers’ desks and electronic devices. The company immediately placed all four individuals on administrative leave.
This follows an initial investigative phase that resulted in the detention of three people suspected of illegally exporting high-end hardware. Super Micro previously stated that its cooperation with law enforcement led to the seizure of fifty servers, which buyers deceptively acquired through an authorized reseller before attempting to divert them to the restricted Chinese market. This case links to broader scrutiny, as the U.S. Justice Department charged three individuals associated with Super Micro, including a co-founder, with helping smuggle billions of dollars in AI technology to China. As the primary manufacturer of advanced microchips, Taiwan continues to tighten export controls to prevent critical technological know-how from reaching the Chinese market.
