Supermicro hires a new CFO after $2.5 billion Nvidia smuggling case and a 2-year search

Super Micro Computer, known for its partnership with Nvidia and SpaceX, has appointed Mark Long as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This decision comes nearly two years following a board-level independent investigation that prompted the search for a successor to longtime CFO David Weigand.

Mark Long, 59, has taken over the role of CFO as of Wednesday, as confirmed by Supermicro. He brings a wealth of experience, having previously served as CFO and chief strategy officer at Western Digital, a data storage company valued at $130 billion. In addition, he operates an investment and advisory firm, Prime Impact Capital. Long's background includes serving as co-CEO and CFO of a SPAC he co-founded, which raised $300 million prior to its merger in 2023 with Cheche Technology, an auto insurance tech platform based in Beijing.

Long's entry coincides with a particularly challenging time for Supermicro, which has established connections with Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang as well as Elon Musk's xAI, now part of SpaceX. His extensive experience as an executive and technology investor is expected to help dispel the uncertainty surrounding Supermicro, especially in the eyes of wary investors.

In March, the Department of Justice and the FBI indicted and arrested Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan "Wally" Liaw in connection with a significant smuggling case involving approximately $2.5 billion worth of Supermicro hardware containing Nvidia's export-controlled chips that were illegally sent to China. The allegations suggest that Liaw and two others associated with Supermicro undertook a series of deceptive actions, including using hairdryers to alter labels and creating thousands of dummy servers that were merely replicas of actual Supermicro servers since the genuine units had already been redirected to China.

While Supermicro is not a defendant in the case, the company has stated it is cooperating with authorities. Liaw has pleaded not guilty. His arrest in March initiated a separate board-led internal investigation, distinct from the earlier probe that led to the CFO search, which Supermicro reported in August found no evidence that current senior management members were aware of the smuggling activities.

Liaw, who had been on the Supermicro board prior to his resignation following his arrest, had a long-standing relationship with the company's co-founders, Charles Liang and Sara Liu. The couple both serve on the Supermicro board. Liaw had previously stepped away from Supermicro amidst an internal audit committee investigation preceding a 2018 SEC inquiry that accused Supermicro and its then-CFO of mishandling revenue recognition practices. In 2020, Supermicro resolved the SEC's allegations by paying a $17.5 million settlement. Liaw rejoined Supermicro as a consultant in May 2021, became a full-time employee, and rejoined the board in December 2023.

The earlier investigation, which prompted the decision to replace Weigand with a more seasoned CFO, was triggered by the unexpected resignation of the auditor, EY, and scrutinized issues related to export controls as well as the rehiring of employees who had left the company in 2017 amid the prior accounting investigation. Weigand, who held the roles of CFO and chief compliance officer, was deemed responsible for process shortcomings uncovered in that investigation, including a consulting arrangement with the former CFO that EY was not notified about, which was disclosed by the company in 2024.

Following Liaw's arrest in March 2026, Supermicro has revealed that it received a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York related to Liaw's indictment as well as the company's compliance programs and internal controls. Additional subpoenas and inquiries have been issued by foreign authorities, the Securities & Exchange Commission, and the Bureau of Industry and Security, which oversees trade compliance and violations for the U.S. Department of Commerce. In Liaw's case, his attorney informed the judge that the materials Supermicro would provide to the government could be significant for his defense, resulting in a postponement of Liaw's trial from November 2026 to March 2027.

Subsequently, one of the individuals indicted alongside Liaw, Ting-Wei "Willy" Sun, who worked as a contractor for Supermicro, has agreed to plead guilty to four counts, which include conspiracy to smuggle goods and breach export regulations, as well as obstruction of justice.

Sun's obstruction charge, which was newly introduced according to his information document, relates to his admission of deleting an encrypted messaging application from his phone on March 19, 2026—the day of the arrests. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for the conspiracy and obstruction charges, with his sentencing scheduled for September 2027. Sun has also been ordered to forfeit any profits derived from the export offenses.

In his new role, Long will quickly engage with ongoing challenges. Recently, the board has added Intel's former IT CTO, Shesha Krishnapura, while Judy Lin, another board member, has retired. Lin previously worked as vice president at Western Digital from 2007 until September 2012 and departed just after Long began consulting for Western Digital in March 2012, prior to officially joining the company as chief strategy officer in January 2013.

For his position as CFO, Long's compensation package includes a base salary of $725,000, an initial signing bonus of $500,000, and a guaranteed annual cash bonus of $500,000. He will also have the opportunity to earn additional cash bonuses and an annual equity grant based on the performance of the company and his individual contributions. His equity package includes an initial equity grant worth approximately $4.1 million, calculated from Thursday's stock price, along with options on 150,000 shares.

Supermicro has opted not to make Long available for interviews at this time. In a statement, CEO Charles Liang expressed his enthusiasm for Long's appointment and conveyed gratitude to Weigand, stating that Long is expected to have "an immediate positive impact" on enhancing the company's financial execution.

Weigand will remain on board to facilitate the transition process for Long as CFO.