AI, chip and technology companies are hiring former intelligence personnel and creating dedicated counterintelligence roles to defend against espionage, insider theft, blackmail, coercion and sophisticated cyber threats as artificial intelligence increases their strategic value. Recruiters and security specialists say demand for experienced personnel exceeds supply, with most counterintelligence salaries ranging from $200,000 to about $500,000 and top corporate security chiefs earning between $1 million and $4 million annually, depending on stock awards. The trend has gained attention as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned on Nov. 12, ending his 33-year run at the company he co-founded. Chief financial officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO while retaining her finance role, and Nvidia's board will consider internal and external candidates for a permanent successor. The resignation followed reports of two extramarital affairs, including one involving an alleged Chinese spy. An earlier account said Huang admitted one affair, while Nvidia opened an independent investigation and said it did not believe national security or company secrets were compromised; China rejected the espionage allegations. OpenAI appointed former National Security Agency director Paul Nakasone to its board and safety and security committee in June 2024 and is hiring a senior global security investigator. Anthropic added former CIA deputy director David Cohen and former NSA cybersecurity director Dave Luber to its national security advisory council in August 2025 and is seeking a threat-intelligence security engineer. ASML has established an Intelligence Fusion Centre and is advertising for an intelligence officer in Taiwan, requiring at least 10 years of counterintelligence experience. The company hired Sebastian Reyn, former deputy director of Dutch military intelligence, in 2024. Security executives say companies are devoting increasing resources to AI-driven hacking and data protection, although executive vulnerability to personal targeting can receive less attention. Security teams can advise leaders but cannot control their private conduct.