Courtesy of the Financial times

Well, it happened again and I’m not surprised. I’m sure you’re not astonished either. Another very successful, uber-rich, and highly connected man–Jensen Huang–has been caught with his pants down.

Also, not for the first time, he demonstrated poor judgment and made bad decisions that got him and his company into trouble—things he is being compensated not to do.

Unfortunately, the Jensen Huang debacle also has national security implications. This woman wasn’t just another trophy with puffed-up lips and cantilevered breasts but a suspected spy for one of America’s enemies.

From Peccadillo to Security Risk

That espionage angle is taking the story out of the peccadillo (peckerdillo?) category in which the man is excused for his bad behavior and sometimes lauded for his prowess, into a whole ‘nother level. Which is not to excuse Jensen Huang for joining the ranks of adults who should know better but have reached a level where they think the world owes them whatever they want.

There seems to be a part of the male brain that wakes up when he reaches a pinnacle of success. It whispers that he deserves to get whatever he wants. That he is a man among men admired by other men. In fact, he is a demi-god who should be esteemed, nay worshiped, by lesser human beings who can only aspire to be like him.

Like Little Boys, Only Bigger

“Flying Fox” yacht belonging to Jeff Bezos

And what does he want? Well, toys to start with. Like any little boy, the successful male wants things to play with, only bigger and more expensive toys: a portfolio of mansions, his own private jet, at least one mega yacht, a private island, a trip to space. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Along with that, he wants either as much sex as he can get or his youth back, depending on his age. And the way in which he satisfies either urge involves beautiful women.

The Ultimate Aphrodisiac

At this point another factor kicks in. As Henry Kissinger famously said, “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” At the time, he meant gorgeous women being attracted to less-than-handsome men like him. But it also works the other way around. Power gives men access to women who would otherwise be out of his league. Like, waaaayyy out of his league. And nothing about that seems odd to him, because he thinks he deserves it.

Thus Bill Gates can have affairs with not one, but two stunning Russian women without wondering whether they might have ulterior motives that go beyond access to his money and his lifestyle.

John Profumo and Christine Keeler

Jensen Huang can have an affair with a beautiful Chinese woman and never think she might be a tool of the Chinese government.

In 1963, British Secretary of State for War John Profumo had an affair with Christine Keeler, a model and a nightclub dancer. She was also linked to Soviet Naval Attaché Yevgeny Ivanov, who was widely believed to have intelligence connections. He denied the affair to Parliament but was later forced to resign and the scandal damaged the Macmillan government severely.

Have none of the current offenders ever watched a spy movie? They could try Red Sparrow for starters, then move on to The Good Shepherd and No Way Out. They will learn that spies are trained to carry out a honeypot scheme. And spies are clandestine by definition: they won’t tell you what they’re doing.

Jensen Huang and Consequences

Huang, at the top of the photo, descending from Air Force One as President Trump arrives in Beijing for a state visit in May. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Not every damaging affair involves espionage, of course, but there are almost always consequences. They can be personal, professional, financial, familial and, in the Jensen Huang case, political as well as dangerous.

Will the Jensen Huang affair bring down a government? Given that the president overrode his security advisors to include Mr. Huang on a trip to China, I doubt it very much.

But it will throw a monkey wrench into the works. It has already had a severe impact on nVidia’s stock price. What it will do to Mr. Huang is anyone’s guess.

I’m not surprised by any of it.