Jensen Huang, the visionary co-founder, CEO, and President of NVIDIA, has a story that reads like a script from a Hollywood blockbuster. Born into a modest family in Tainan, Taiwan, in 1963, Huang’s early life was marked by a series of relocations. At the tender age of five, his family moved to Thailand, and four years later, he found himself in Tacoma, Washington, under the care of his uncle. His academic journey in the United States began at Oneida Elementary School in Kentucky and culminated with his graduation from Aloha High School.
Huang’s humble beginnings included a stint as a waiter at a Denny’s restaurant near Portland. This job was concurrent with his pursuit of higher education, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 1984—the same year that saw the release of the first Macintosh computer. His academic endeavors didn’t stop there; in 1992, Huang obtained a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
Love blossomed in the halls of academia when Huang met Laurie Mills, his future wife, while studying engineering. The couple, who were also lab partners, married and had two children. Their son, Spencer, made a name for himself by opening a bar in Taipei, which Forbes recognized among the Top 50 Bars in Asia. Although the bar closed in May 2021, Spencer continues to make strides in the tech world as a Product Manager at NVIDIA.
The inception of NVIDIA is a tale of ambition and innovation. In 1993, alongside Curtis Priem and Chris Malachowski, Huang co-founded the company that would revolutionize the tech industry. By 2007, Huang’s leadership and success earned him the title of the 61st highest-paid CEO in the United States, with a staggering salary of $24.6 million.
Huang’s accolades are numerous and impressive. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year in High Technology by Ernst & Young in 1999 and received the Daniel J. Epstein Engineering Management Award in 2002. The Fabless Semiconductor Association honored him with the Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award in 2004 for his outstanding contributions to development, innovation, and growth. Oregon State University named him an Alumni Fellow in 2005, and in 2007, he received the Pioneer Business Leader Award from the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. His alma mater, Oregon State University, bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate in 2009. The Harvard Business Review recognized him as the best-performing CEO in the world in 2019, and in 2020, he was nominated for “Supplier CEO of the year” by Automotive News Europe Eurostars. That same year, National Taiwan University awarded him an honorary doctorate. Time magazine included him in its list of The 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2021. In 2023, he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and in February 2024, he was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to the GPU and AI revolution.
Behind Huang’s illustrious career is a foundation of perseverance and hard work. In 1999, NVIDIA, under Huang’s guidance, launched the world’s first GPU, propelling visual data processing into a new era. Today, Huang is not only one of the wealthiest individuals globally, with a net worth of $64.2 billion, but he also serves as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs. NVIDIA’s market cap has soared to ₹15,100,000 crores, and the company briefly surpassed Google’s parent company Alphabet, becoming the third-largest American company. The surge in demand for GPU chips, driven by the AI market boom, has further solidified NVIDIA’s position in the tech industry.
Huang’s philanthropic efforts mirror his business acumen. Believing in giving back to society, he generously donated $50 million to Oregon State University and $30 million to Stanford University, reflecting his commitment to fostering education and innovation for future generations.
Jensen Huang’s journey from a waiter to the pinnacle of corporate success is a testament to the power of dreams, determination, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
