Jensen Huang

Jensen Huang is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of NVIDIA, renowned for his pioneering work in graphics processing and artificial intelligence (AI). Under his strategic direction, NVIDIA introduced the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which catalysed advancements in AI, deep learning, and high-performance computing. He has driven NVIDIA's expansion into key areas such as gaming, autonomous vehicles, and data centres. The company is now the world's second-largest by market capitalisation.

Jensen has been featured in Time's 100 Most Influential People and honoured as the world's top CEO by Harvard Business Review. As of June 2024, Forbes estimated his net worth at $105.8 billion, placing him as the 14th richest person globally, just behind Michael Bloomberg. 

Jensen Huang, born Jen-hsun Huang on February 17, 1963, in Tainan, Taiwan, is a pioneering figure in the tech industry. His early years were marked by significant geographical and cultural transitions. When Huang was five, his family moved to Thailand. Four years later, at the age of nine, he and his brother were sent to the United States to live with their uncle in Tacoma, Washington. The uncle mistakenly enrolled them in the Oneida Baptist Institute in Kentucky, a religious reform school, thinking it was a prestigious boarding school. Eventually, their parents joined them in the U.S., settling in Oregon. Huang graduated from Aloha High School at sixteen, having skipped two grades.

Huang pursued higher education with determination. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 1984. After gaining some industry experience, he furthered his education with a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, graduating in 1992.

After completing his education, Huang began his career at LSI Logic as the director of CoreWare. He later joined Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as a microprocessor designer. These roles provided him with invaluable industry experience and insights, setting the stage for his future endeavours.

In 1993, at the age of 30, Huang co-founded NVIDIA with Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. The idea for NVIDIA was conceived in a meeting at Denny’s roadside diner in East San Jose. Huang’s vision was to create a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU) that would revolutionise the gaming industry. The company went public in 1999, with Huang leading the charge as CEO and president.

Under Huang’s leadership, NVIDIA introduced the first GPU in 1999, fundamentally transforming the gaming and computing industries. The company’s innovative technologies have since expanded beyond gaming into AI and deep learning, making NVIDIA a crucial player in fields such as autonomous vehicles, healthcare, and data science. By June 2024, NVIDIA’s market capitalisation had reached $3 trillion, making it the second-largest company in the world. During this period, Huang’s net worth surged to $105.8 billion, placing him among the world’s wealthiest individuals.

Huang is also known for his philanthropic efforts. In 2008, NVIDIA funded the construction of a classroom at Beijing Haidian Foreign Language Shi Yan School to support students affected by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. In 2022, Huang donated $50 million to Oregon State University, contributing to a $200 million initiative to create a supercomputing institute. He also donated $30 million to Stanford University for the Jen-Hsun Huang School of Engineering Center and $2 million to Oneida Baptist Institute to build Huang Hall.

Huang’s contributions to the tech industry have been widely recognised. He has received numerous accolades, including the Entrepreneur of the Year in High Technology by Ernst & Young (1999), the Daniel J. Epstein Engineering Management Award from the University of Southern California (2002), and the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award from the Fabless Semiconductor Association (2004). In 2018, he was listed in the inaugural Edge 50, naming the world’s top 50 influencers in edge computing. Harvard Business Review named him the best-performing CEO in the world in 2019. He was also honoured with the Robert N. Noyce Award from the Semiconductor Industry Association in 2021 and was included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People in both 2021 and 2024. In 2024, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to high-powered graphics processing units and their role in the AI revolution.

Jensen Huang envisions a future where AI and GPU technology drive global innovation, solving complex challenges across industries and enhancing everyday life. His goal is to make advanced computing accessible and impactful, fostering breakthroughs in fields such as healthcare, autonomous vehicles, and scientific research.