WSJ revealed ways to protect top managers from industrial espionage

Executives of large companies began turning to private detectives, security specialists, and elite matchmakers to protect themselves from blackmail and industrial espionage during romantic encounters. This was reported on November 14 by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

According to the newspaper, ensuring the confidentiality of the personal lives of top managers has become a separate business area. Amy Andersen, the founder of the Linx Dating agency, organizes dating for representatives of the technology industry, pre-screening candidates and requiring the signing of non-disclosure agreements. The cost of such services ranges from $75 thousand to $500 thousand.

When arranging dates, experts try to hide the identity of clients and information about their financial situation. So, matchmaker Rachel Greenwald advised the Maserati owner to rent a Toyota Prius in order not to attract attention with an expensive car. Small weekday cafes are also chosen for meetings instead of prestigious restaurants.

In some cases, the organizers resort to more complex schemes. A representative of the Knightsbridge Circle concierge service, Stuart McNeil, once arranged a date between two celebrities in a separate box at the stadium during a concert. To hide the meeting, he hired extras to create the appearance of an ordinary group of friends.

Investor Elena Nunez, in turn, contacted a security consultant with a request to rent a house through the Airbnb aggregator for meetings with potential partners. Thus, she sought to keep her home address a secret.

Additional screening of candidates has also become a sought-after service. Consultant Don Aviv charges $4,000 to study social media and the judicial history of a potential partner. According to him, managers are afraid of the leakage of intimate photos, the creation of deepfakes and so—called honey traps - situations where romantic relationships are deliberately used to obtain money or corporate information. According to the expert, both men and women are exposed to such risks.

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On November 7, former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confessed to the board of directors that he had an intimate relationship with a woman whom American intelligence suspected of collecting information in favor of Beijing. It turned out that the ex-CEO had more than one relationship.

Later, the head of the corporation resigned. At the same time, US President Donald Trump in a telephone conversation urged Huang not to give up and defend his position. Nvidia employees themselves also called for him to be returned to his position after his resignation.

Forbes magazine reported that the day after the scandal, Huang's fortune decreased by about $7.4 billion to $154.7 billion. According to the publication, Nvidia shares fell by 5.5% amid an investigation into the circumstances of his relationship with a Chinese woman.