Real AI Chips, Fake Servers and a Hair Dryer: The Story Behind a $2.5 Billion Scam
By Kevin Haynes
Published on March 22, 2026.
Super Micro Computer, Inc. co-founder Yih-Shyan "Wally" Liaw and two others have been indicted for allegedly smuggling at least $2.5 billion of Supermicro servers with cutting-edge Nvidia AI chips to China, a violation of U.S. export control laws. The accused also include Ruei-Tsang "Steven" Chang, a Supermicro sales manager in Taiwan, and contractor Ting-Wei "Willy" Sun. The defendants allegedly fabricated documents, staged bogus equipment to pass audit inventories, and used a pass-through company to conceal their misconduct.
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