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+====== Jensen Huang ======
+===== Birth in Taiwan =====
+Jensen Huang was born in Tainan, Taiwan, on February 17, 1963, before moving with his family to Thailand as a child. [([[https://www.forbes.com/profile/jensen-huang/|Forbes]])]
+===== Four Trillion Market Cap =====
+Under Huang's leadership as CEO, NVIDIA became one of the most valuable companies in history, surpassing a $4 trillion market capitalization in 2025. [([[https://www.forbes.com/profile/jensen-huang/|Forbes]])]
+===== California Talent Commitment =====
+Unlike other tech executives relocating company headquarters out of state, Huang pledged to keep NVIDIA in California because of the region's unmatched talent pool. [([[https://www.forbes.com/profile/jensen-huang/|Forbes]])]
+===== Full Name Heritage =====
+Huang's full birth name is Jen-Hsun Huang, which was later anglicized to Jensen when he settled in the United States. [([[https://www.britannica.com/money/Jensen-Huang|Britannica]])]
+===== Parents' Professions =====
+Huang was born to Huang Hsing-tai, a chemical engineer who participated in a U.S. training program, and Lo Tsai-hsiu, a grade school teacher. [([[https://www.britannica.com/money/Jensen-Huang|Britannica]])]
+===== Daily English Lessons =====
+To prepare her sons for their move to America, Huang's mother taught them ten random English words every day despite not speaking English herself. [([[https://www.britannica.com/money/Jensen-Huang|Britannica]])]
+===== Trillion Dollar Backlog =====
+Huang predicted that the rapid global expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure would generate over $1 trillion in hardware orders. [([[https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-artificial-intelligence-conference-846f7d4aada068e92516665c6993ea29|AP News]])]
+===== Five Trillion Market Cap Milestone =====
+Driven by massive worldwide demand for AI accelerator chips, NVIDIA became the first public company in history to reach a $5 trillion market capitalization. [([[https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-trillion-ai-apple-huang-trump-xi-c9bbf5cfa017dadaf248a4d197763cb9|AP News]])]
+===== Trillion-Dollar Techno-Diplomacy =====
+Huang actively engaged in high-level international diplomacy with global leaders to navigate chip export licenses and AI infrastructure projects across the Middle East and Asia. [([[https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-trillion-ai-apple-huang-trump-xi-c9bbf5cfa017dadaf248a4d197763cb9|AP News]])]
+===== Dishwasher Roots at Denny's =====
+At age 15, Huang got his first job working as a busboy and dishwasher at a Denny's diner in Oregon before being promoted to waiter. [([[https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/nvidias-founder-went-from-dishwasher-to-tech-titan-learned-power-of-storytelling-to-build-a-brand.html|Inc. Magazine]])]
+===== Denny's Origins of NVIDIA =====
+In 1993, Huang met co-founders Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem in a corner booth at a San Jose Denny's to draft the initial business plan for NVIDIA. [([[https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/nvidias-founder-went-from-dishwasher-to-tech-titan-learned-power-of-storytelling-to-build-a-brand.html|Inc. Magazine]])]
+===== Hospitality Leadership Lessons =====
+Huang frequently credits his early restaurant experience washing dishes with teaching him foundational leadership values of humility, hard work, and hospitality. [([[https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/nvidias-founder-went-from-dishwasher-to-tech-titan-learned-power-of-storytelling-to-build-a-brand.html|Inc. Magazine]])]
+===== Kentucky Reform Academy Misunderstanding =====
+When Huang was nine, his relatives mistakenly enrolled him and his brother in Oneida Baptist Institute in Kentucky, believing the religious reform school for troubled youth was a prestigious prep academy. [([[https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/12/49200174/jensen-huang-was-mistakenly-sent-to-a-kentucky-reform-school-where-he-cleaned-bathrooms-while-his-brother-worked-on-tobacco-farms|Benzinga]])]
+===== Bathroom Cleaning Chores =====
+While attending the Kentucky school, Huang was assigned to scrub the student bathrooms daily, while his brother worked long hours on a nearby tobacco farm. [([[https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/12/49200174/jensen-huang-was-mistakenly-sent-to-a-kentucky-reform-school-where-he-cleaned-bathrooms-while-his-brother-worked-on-tobacco-farms|Benzinga]])]
+===== Handyman Soda Reward =====
+To find joy during his time in Kentucky, young Huang accompanied the school's Vietnam veteran handyman on nightly maintenance rounds in exchange for a soda. [([[https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/12/49200174/jensen-huang-was-mistakenly-sent-to-a-kentucky-reform-school-where-he-cleaned-bathrooms-while-his-brother-worked-on-tobacco-farms|Benzinga]])]
+===== Table Tennis Champion =====
+While attending Aloha High School in Oregon, Huang played competitive table tennis and earned a national junior ranking in the sport. [([[https://carnegie.org/great-immigrants/jensen-huang/|Carnegie Corporation]])]
+===== Early High School Graduation =====
+Huang excelled academically in Oregon, graduating from high school at age 16 before immediately pursuing his college engineering degree. [([[https://carnegie.org/great-immigrants/jensen-huang/|Carnegie Corporation]])]
+===== Great Immigrants Honoree =====
+Huang was named to the Carnegie Corporation's prestigious Great Immigrants list in recognition of his transformative impact on American technology and society. [([[https://carnegie.org/great-immigrants/jensen-huang/|Carnegie Corporation]])]
+===== Tom Ford Leather Uniform =====
+Huang's iconic signature look consists of black leather jackets, with many of his most famous public appearances featuring custom designs by Tom Ford. [([[https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/the-ceos-uniform-jensen-huangs-tom-ford-leather-jacket/the-jensen-jacket-jensen-huangs-tom-ford-leather|Sotheby's]])]
+===== Philanthropic Jacket Auction =====
+One of Huang's signed, photomatched Tom Ford leather jackets was auctioned at Sotheby's to raise funds for young technology builders and fellowships. [([[https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/the-ceos-uniform-jensen-huangs-tom-ford-leather-jacket/the-jensen-jacket-jensen-huangs-tom-ford-leather|Sotheby's]])]
+===== Record Sotheby's Jacket Sale =====
+Huang's worn Tom Ford leather jacket fetched $960,000 at auction after 65 competing bids, shattering its pre-sale estimates. [([[https://buffalojackson.com/blogs/insight/jensen-huangs-jacket-sold-for-960k-heres-the-brand|Buffalo Jackson]])]
+===== Adapting GPUs for General Computing =====
+In 2003, amid widespread skepticism, Huang directed NVIDIA to adapt graphics processing units (GPUs) for general-purpose computing, laying the foundation for modern AI. [([[https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2021/6095971/jensen-huang/|TIME]])]
+===== TIME 100 Influential Leader =====
+Huang was named to the TIME 100 list of most influential people in 2021 and honored on the TIME 100 AI list as a defining figure of the AI revolution. [([[https://time.com/collections/time100-ai-2025/7305861/jensen-huang-ai/|TIME]])]
+===== TIME Person of the Year Feature =====
+TIME featured Huang in its Person of the Year coverage, highlighting his pivotal role in leading the hardware engine driving global artificial intelligence. [([[https://time.com/7341061/jensen-huang-time-person-year-interview/|TIME]])]
+===== Oregon State Innovation Gift =====
+Huang and his wife Lori donated $50 million to Oregon State University to establish a $200 million collaborative research complex powered by an NVIDIA supercomputer. [([[https://futurumgroup.com/insights/nvidias-jensen-huang-donates-50m-for-an-osu-ai-tech-center/|The Futurum Group]])]
+===== Meeting His Wife in Lab =====
+Huang met his wife Lori when they were both undergraduate engineering students partnered together in an electrical engineering laboratory at Oregon State. [([[https://futurumgroup.com/insights/nvidias-jensen-huang-donates-50m-for-an-osu-ai-tech-center/|The Futurum Group]])]
+===== Pandemic No-Layoff Commitment =====
+In April 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Huang pledged that NVIDIA would not lay off any employees and instead expedited raises to support staff. [([[https://futurumgroup.com/insights/nvidias-jensen-huang-donates-50m-for-an-osu-ai-tech-center/|The Futurum Group]])]
+===== Oregon State Engineering Graduate =====
+Huang graduated from Oregon State University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering at just 21 years old. [([[https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/all-stories/doing-important-hard-work-you-love|Oregon State University]])]
+===== Three Core Startup Questions =====
+Before launching NVIDIA, Huang and his co-founders required positive answers to three questions: whether they loved the work, whether it was worthwhile, and whether it was hard to do. [([[https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/all-stories/doing-important-hard-work-you-love|Oregon State University]])]
+===== McNary Hall Dormitory Experience =====
+Huang credits living in McNary Hall at Oregon State as an introverted teenager with helping him develop essential social and interpersonal skills. [([[https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/all-stories/doing-important-hard-work-you-love|Oregon State University]])]
+===== Stanford Engineering Center Donation =====
+Huang donated $30 million to Stanford University to construct the Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center, a state-of-the-art academic facility. [([[https://engineering.stanford.edu/news/jen-hsun-huang-nvidia-co-founder-invests-next-generation-stanford-engineers|Stanford University]])]
+===== Stanford Master's Degree =====
+While working full-time in Silicon Valley, Huang completed his Master of Science degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University in 1992. [([[https://engineering.stanford.edu/about/history/heroes/2018-heroes/jensen-huang|Stanford University]])]
+===== First-Principles Reasoning Philosophy =====
+In lectures at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Huang emphasized using first-principles reasoning to break down complex and ambiguous decisions. [([[https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/jensen-huang-how-use-first-principles-thinking-drive-decisions|Stanford University]])]
+===== Steve Jobs of AI Nickname =====
+Due to his signature attire, keynote charisma, and technical vision, media outlets regularly refer to Huang as "the Steve Jobs of AI." [([[https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260326/meet-steve-jobs-ai-jensen-huang-nvidia-ceo-has-us73-billion-net-worth-and-went-washing-dishes-dennys|South China Morning Post]])]
+===== No Wristwatch Policy =====
+Huang famously chooses not to wear a wristwatch, explaining that his personal philosophy is focused entirely on living in the present moment. [([[https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260326/meet-steve-jobs-ai-jensen-huang-nvidia-ceo-has-us73-billion-net-worth-and-went-washing-dishes-dennys|South China Morning Post]])]
+===== Voyager Headquarters Name =====
+NVIDIA's Santa Clara headquarters building is named "Voyager" after the iconic Star Trek starship, reflecting Huang's passion for science fiction and exploration. [([[https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260326/meet-steve-jobs-ai-jensen-huang-nvidia-ceo-has-us73-billion-net-worth-and-went-washing-dishes-dennys|South China Morning Post]])]
+===== Carrier Program Inspiration =====
+Huang's father promised to send his sons to America after participating in a training program with air conditioner manufacturer Carrier in the U.S. [([[https://quartr.com/insights/edge/the-story-of-jensen-huang-and-nvidia|Quartr Insights]])]
+===== TSMC Chipmaking Partnership =====
+Huang built a long-standing partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to fabricate NVIDIA's most advanced GPU architectures. [([[https://quartr.com/insights/edge/the-story-of-jensen-huang-and-nvidia|Quartr Insights]])]
+===== Near-Bankruptcy Pivot =====
+In the late 1990s, Huang successfully navigated NVIDIA out of near-bankruptcy by pivoting to the RIVA 128 graphics chip and pioneering 3D graphics acceleration. [([[https://quartr.com/insights/edge/the-story-of-jensen-huang-and-nvidia|Quartr Insights]])]
+===== NVision Original Name =====
+NVIDIA was originally named NVision until the co-founders discovered the name was already trademarked by a toilet paper manufacturer. [([[https://www.epirus.vc/blog/from-a-dishwasher-to-a-tech-superstar-the-making-of-a-ceo|Epirus Ventures]])]
+===== Latin Invidia Name Origin =====
+Huang suggested naming the company NVIDIA, derived from the Latin word "invidia," meaning envy, to symbolize competitors turning green with envy. [([[https://www.epirus.vc/blog/from-a-dishwasher-to-a-tech-superstar-the-making-of-a-ceo|Epirus Ventures]])]
+===== Early Chipmaking Career =====
+Before co-founding NVIDIA at age 30, Huang worked as an electrical engineer designing microprocessors at AMD and LSI Logic. [([[https://www.epirus.vc/blog/from-a-dishwasher-to-a-tech-superstar-the-making-of-a-ceo|Epirus Ventures]])]
+===== Inference Inflection Narrative =====
+Huang framed the evolution of artificial intelligence as moving toward an "inference inflection," where deployed AI models generate continuous value across industries. [([[https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/jensen-huangs-key-statements-shaping-nvidias-ai-narrative-93CH-4799226|Investing.com]])]
+===== Press Sandwiches Tradition =====
+During trips to tech summits in Taipei, Huang is known for personally buying and handing out local sandwiches and street food to press members and fans. [([[https://mercury.bloomberg.com/images/448644469|Bloomberg]])]
+===== Entrepreneurship Degree Legacy =====
+As an Oregon State electrical engineering alumnus, Huang is celebrated as one of the university's most successful graduates pioneering technological innovation. [([[https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/academics/discover-engineering/what-engineering-degree-best-entrepreneurship|Oregon State University]])]

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