Jensen Huang

Early Life

Jen-Hsun Huang, commonly known as Jensen Huang, was born in Taipei, Taiwan, on February 17, 1963. He moved to the United States at a young age and attended school in Kentucky and Oregon. Huang's early experiences, including working at a Denny's restaurant, shaped his work ethic and approach to challenges. He excelled academically, graduating from Aloha High School at age 16.

Rise to Success

Huang earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 1984 and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1992. He began his career as a microchip designer before co-founding NVIDIA in 1993. Under his leadership, NVIDIA has grown from a startup to a global leader in the semiconductor industry, driven by innovations in GPUs and AI. His leadership has been described as almost unheard of in Silicon Valley.

Key Business Strategies

Huang's strategic vision has been key to NVIDIA's success, particularly in pivoting towards AI and high-performance computing. NVIDIA's CUDA platform has become essential for researchers and developers in AI. Huang has also focused on innovation, leading to the development of 'Huang's Law,' which suggests that GPU performance is more than doubling every two years. He owns approximately 3% of Nvidia's stock.

Philanthropy

Jensen Huang and his wife, Lori Huang, established the Jen-Hsun & Lori Huang Foundation in 2007. The foundation's assets have grown to over $12 billion as of late 2025. It supports various causes, including education, public health, and local organizations, with significant donations to Stanford and Oregon State University.