Good morning. Jensen Huang is synonymous with Nvidia and the AI industry’s rampant growth, which means his admission of infidelity threatens to rock both entities. More on that below, along with Connor Hellebuyck ducking the heat in his return to Winnipeg and an octogenarian literary prizewinner.
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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang wipes his brow at the Invest in Germany Summit in Berlin last month.Lisi Niesner/Reuters
TOP STORIES
Nvidia investigation may rattle AI industry
Nvidia Corp.’s board of directors said that it is opening an investigation after CEO Jensen Huang disclosed an intimate relationship with a woman who U.S. intelligence agencies contend is a Chinese spy. So much of the AI industry revolves around him, and now industry watchers are grappling with a previously unthinkable question: What is Nvidia, and indeed the AI industry, without its leather-jacket-clad champion?
The kingpin: Huang, 63, is an AI evangelist, innovator and investor who has pressed the Trump administration to relax export restrictions to China. The probe into the ultrawealthy CEO, news of which lowered Nvidia shares yesterday, could exacerbate skittishness about the AI bubble and inhibit dealmaking in the industry, analysts warn.
Opinion: Founders like Huang tend to believe they’re immortal. The job of the Nvidia board is to dispel that illusion, Andrew Willis writes.
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Karen Karniol-Tambour, co-chief investment officer of Bridgewater Associates, speaks at the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City last year.Jeenah Moon/Reuters
Sovereign wealth fund recruits CEO
The Carney government selected a rising U.S. hedge fund executive, Karen Karniol-Tambour of Bridgewater Associates, to lead the $25-billion Canada Strong Fund as CEO. A Canadian citizen and Bridgewater veteran who oversaw the firm’s Asia strategies, Karniol-Tambour will transition to her new role over the next few weeks.
The endorsement: “Ms. Karniol-Tambour brings the experience and ambition to lead this mission – making investments that strengthen our economy and build lasting wealth for Canadians,” Carney said in a statement about the appointment. “As we build a stronger, more independent Canada, we are ensuring Canadians have a direct stake in its success.”
The fund: Announced in April, the sovereign wealth fund is being established as a Crown corporation to invest in nation-building projects and other strategic assets. Canadians will get a chance to invest in the fund, and share in potential gains, through bond-like products sold through banks.
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Forward Rosalie Tremblay celebrates one of Canada’s 10 goals in a blowout win over host Denmark at the women’s world hockey championship on Monday.IDA MARIE ODGAARD/AFP/Getty Images
Commercial tiff consigns Canada to bland jerseys
The duelling powerhouses of women’s hockey, Canada and the United States, are competing in generic uniforms at the world championship because of a commercial dispute with the International Ice Hockey Federation. Rather than splashing the maple leaf or the stars and stripes across the chest, each country’s jersey features the silhouette of a map below the collar.
The event: Canada and the U.S. have split the 24 gold medals awarded at previous world championships almost down the middle (the Canadians lead 13-11). Despite their drab look, both teams have reeled off three dominant wins at the ongoing tournament in Denmark, which wraps up on Monday.
The Take
Physician billing can’t just be an open spigot, with no checks and balances. In fact, last year, [Ontario] Auditor-General Shelley Spence harshly criticized the Ministry of Health for not auditing doctors whose billings raised obvious red flags. She cited some shocking examples: Eighty-two doctors who claimed to have worked 24 hours or more in a single day; a diagnostic radiologist who billed for an average of 461 patients daily; and an ophthalmologist who billed $6.7-million in one year.
Like in every profession, there are bad apples in medicine that make everyone look bad, health columnist André Picard writes. The challenge is: How do you weed them out?
The Shot
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Riot police combat a fiery demonstration in the streets of Frankfurt, Germany, on Oct. 31.Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters
Western European cities have a new weekend routine, senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon reports: Businesses close early to barricade their windows before youth-led protests flare up, highlighting the sense of hopelessness that plagues Gen Z.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: Complaints about companies engaging in “maple washing” – when a food product is mislabelled as Canadian – are way up this year, as are confirmed violations, according to data from the national food watchdog.
Abroad: Republican Congressman Thomas Massie moved to impeach U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his role in foreign military actions. Hegseth has scheduled a rare news conference for 8 a.m. ET.
At sea: Wanderlust inspired passengers of the world’s first continuous cruise to sell their belongings in order to live permanently on the water. The dream ran aground after a couple of years.
In orbit: Joshua Kutryk is struggling to sleep and brush his teeth at the International Space Station, but appreciating the beauty of Earth outweighs the inconvenience, the Alberta astronaut said in a call with schoolchildren.
Books: The British author M. John Harrison became the oldest winner of the Booker Prize at 81 years old, triumphing for The End of Everything, a dystopian novel.
Hockey: The New Jersey Devils will bench Connor Hellebuyck in his return to Winnipeg tonight, shielding the superstar goalie from the wrath of Jets fans. The team’s reasoning reeks of AI, Cathal Kelly writes.
Music: Brad Wheeler reviews Carnaval De Luz, the long-awaited comeback album that tees up U2’s coming world tour.