Supermicro investigation clears CEO in alleged $2.5 billion smuggling scheme while a criminal trial involving a cofounder is set for next year

Super Micro Computer said on Thursday that an independent investigation led by its board found no evidence that current members of senior management knew about an alleged scheme to smuggle $2.5 billion in hardware packed with Nvidia chips to China. 

The announcement was meant to clear the air for investors after a shaky five months following the U.S. Department of Justice’s March indictment of co-founder and board member Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw. But questions remain despite Thursday’s announcement of the investigation results; the server manufacturing company offered scant details about what specifically was found in the investigation, only that the board did not find evidence the CEO and senior management were aware of the alleged smuggling ring. Meanwhile, a parallel probe by authorities in Taiwan led to four Supermicro employees being detained for questioning last month in connection with Supermicro sales to a tech company, and in June Supermicro got hit with a federal grand jury subpoena in New York. 

So while the company’s investigation may be over, the government and overseas colleagues appear to still be digging. Thursday’s announcement that the investigation had wrapped made no mention of the events in Taiwan or the grand jury subpoena and did not mention Liaw by name.

“They basically said, ‘nothing to see here,’” said Mark Newman, managing director at equity research firm Bernstein. “There may be some more detail about the indictment later down the line, but I think SMCI is trying to forget this and move on.”

Supermicro which was not named in the indictment, declined to comment beyond........

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