US charges California CEO over $300 million of Nvidia servers sent to China
Prosecutors say Greg Lui of Earthmade Computer shipped Nvidia-powered servers through Malaysia and Singapore on false paperwork, in a scheme they say ran from 2023 into August 2026.
US authorities have arrested Greg Lui, 38, of San Gabriel, California, and accused him of smuggling more than $300 million of export-controlled Nvidia-powered servers to China, according to Tom's Hardware and The Register. Lui owns Earthmade Computer, based in City of Industry. He is charged, not convicted, and the claims below are the prosecutors' allegations.
Prosecutors say the servers went first to Malaysia and Singapore, where the export restrictions do not apply, and then on to buyers in China. The Register says the equipment held A100, H100 and RTX series GPUs. Prosecutors allege false paperwork misstated the final destination, and The Register adds that a front company named Topmost was used.
The Register reports that the government says Lui received more than $176 million in payments from Malaysian transshipment firms. It says the alleged activity ran from October 2023 to at least 12 August 2026. Ars Technica frames the case as one more arrest in a smuggling problem Nvidia has not shaken.
The charges cover conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, outbound smuggling and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Tom's Hardware reports that Lui faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Outlets differ on the maximum penalty, and the court filing was not among the sources used here.
Nvidia's comment on the case was not available in the coverage reviewed. One prosecutor, as quoted by The Register, called advanced AI chips the defining technology of the era. Lui's plea and any defence statement have not been reported, and the case may add pressure on how Nvidia servers are tracked after sale.