Carlos Dixon
Taiwanese prosecutors have detained two Super Micro employees and released two others on bail as part of an expanding investigation into the alleged illegal export of Nvidia powered AI servers to China. The case, centered on Super Micro's Taiwan unit, now involves searches at twelve locations and questioning of six individuals across three companies.
At a Glance
- Two Super Micro Taiwan employees detained pending a court hearing; two others released on bail after questioning on June 29.
- Keelung District Prosecutors' Office searched twelve locations, including homes of six suspects and offices of three companies.
- Companies searched: Super Micro Taiwan, distributor Albatron Technology, and data center operator Chief Telecom.
- Three people detained in a first round of the probe in May remain in custody.
- U.S. Justice Department charged three people tied to Super Micro in March over an alleged $2.5 billion smuggling scheme.
What the Second Round of Searches Found
The Keelung District Prosecutors' Office confirmed this week that its second sweep targeted alleged document forgery and breach of trust, rather than export control violations directly. That framing matters for the legal exposure of Super Micro itself: the charges as described so far attach to individual conduct, not corporate liability under Taiwan law. Six people were questioned, four of whom worked for Super Micro's Taiwan unit. Two were detained pending a hearing, a stronger provisional measure than bail, typically reserved for flight risk or evidence tampering concerns in Taiwanese criminal procedure.
Super Micro Chief Revenue Officer Matthew Thauberger addressed the development in a customer letter dated Wednesday, stating the four employees were questioned in connection with the company's sale of products to an unnamed Taiwanese technology company. He was explicit on one point:
Dave Jimenez
