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If you had said a week ago that Jensen Huang would be leaving NVIDIA, no one would have believed you.
He co-founded a globally successful AI semiconductor company and worked tirelessly to build the company from scratch. He is a person who has overcome numerous crises with tremendous energy and cool-headed determination.
He eventually broke down due to problems with his personal life.
It's so amazing that it's hard to believe that it happened in a technology company moving toward the future, and at the same time, it's somewhat old-fashioned.
This incident has created numerous memes online. Pictures such as depicting CEO Hwang as a man caught on a 'kiss cam' at a Coldplay concert while with a married colleague, or singing along to George Michael's famous song 'Careless Whisper', which deals with betrayal, have spread.
Ironically, all of these videos were made with AI, the very technology that CEO Hwang led the development of.
We met with two Silicon Valley business executives this week and asked them how they were taking the news. The answer that came back was “With memes.”
However, neither of them seemed to think that CEO Hwang would resign from his position due to the affair allegations.
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There was too much at stake for them to see. The entire AI industry was overly dependent on NVIDIA semiconductors, so the formula that led to success could not be broken.
So to speak, Silicon Valley was on CEO Hwang's side.
However, this was the story before the second suspicion of affair arose. This time, his relationship with a co-worker was brought up, and the board ultimately decided that CEO Hwang had crossed the line.
His actions suddenly made him seem like a completely different person. A person who can make wrong decisions and cover them up.
Long working hours and competitive spirit
CEO Hwang always tried to stand out from others.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, he broadcast his keynote address live from his kitchen. This kitchen also became a hot topic on the Internet, but it was later revealed that it was a space created with AI.
He is rarely seen without a leather jacket. He joked that he only has one suit, and once said that he borrows his tie from his daughter's partner.
CEO Hwang built a wide network of connections by interacting with influential figures such as Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and King Charles III.
The last time I saw him was at St. James's Palace last year. It was the event where he received the prestigious Queen's Engineering Award.
Although I was told I would not be talking to the press, he approached me directly. We talked for about 10 minutes while the PR people looked on with anxious expressions. With his fluent speaking skills, he presented an optimistic outlook on the development of AI and the UK's role in that process.
To many people, CEO Hwang was Nvidia itself. There were up to 200 employees who reported directly to him.
He was a man of high standards. Tae Kim, who wrote 'The Nvidia Way', a book about Nvidia's internal affairs, said the company's working hours were long.
CEO Hwang's feedback was sometimes harsh and was sometimes given publicly. He had no hesitation in pointing out the mistakes of specific employees in meetings attended by all employees.
Now his own shortcomings are being revealed to the world. He was driven to a cruel end to his career.
NVIDIA without Jensen Huang
Colette Kress, who will lead the company for the time being, is a familiar figure internally. This may provide relief to Nvidia employees.
He has worked at Nvidia for 13 years and is a frequent presence on earnings conference calls for those who follow the company's financials. He is a billionaire himself and a successful technology company executive.
However, he is not an engineer. NVIDIA's products require advanced technology.
He must convince investors that Nvidia's business will continue as usual. Nvidia must also show that the innovation for which it is renowned can continue at the same pace and that key talent will not follow CEO Hwang out of the company.
If NVIDIA's management falters, it could be bad news for the entire AI industry. This is because NVIDIA's semiconductors are the core driving force behind the most powerful AI models and are also believed to act as a kind of central bank that lends funds to other companies.
Regarding CEO Hwang's future, the investigation into his relationship with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy is expected to continue. Depending on the results of the investigation, what he does in the future may also change.
Despite his actions, there will be quite a few places that will offer him a job. Rather, Nvidia's competitors may be having a hard time believing that a strong competitor has voluntarily withdrawn from the competitive stage. Elon Musk has already said it would be "an honor" to work with CEO Hwang at SpaceX.
However, even if it is not revealed that CEO Hwang betrayed the company or the country, it is worth remembering that he betrayed his wife of 41 years, Lori Hwang.
And for his wife, Lori, this isn't a story about technology, seduction, or trillion-dollar corporate valuations.
It is an extremely painful personal problem for him.
