[ITmedia Business Online] Jensen Huang, the man who created NVIDIA, had a turbulent life from “washing dishes at Denny’s” to “leading role in the AI era”

Co-founder Jensen Huang, 63, led NVIDIA from a roadside diner to the center of the global AI boom. On November 12, he resigned from his position as CEO of NVIDIA, ending a 33-year career as a top executive at the semiconductor maker.

According to NVIDIA's board of directors, Huang has also resigned from his position as a director. The Board of Directors announced that it has appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Colette Kress as interim CEO, and will consider internal and external candidates for the permanent CEO role.

The company did not disclose the reason for Huang's resignation. The announcement of his resignation came just days after it was reported that Huang was having an affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. It was also reported that he had an affair with a senior NVIDIA executive who reported directly to Mr. Huang.

Following the announcement, NVIDIA's stock price fell more than 10%.

When I was a teenager, I washed dishes at Denny's.

Mr. Huang was born on February 17, 1963 in Taiwan. His family moved to Thailand due to his father's work, so he spent his childhood there.

His parents then sent the 9-year-old and his older brother to live with an uncle in Tacoma, Washington. The two enrolled in Oneida Baptist Institute, a private school in rural Kentucky. My uncle thought it was a prestigious boarding school, but it was actually a religious reform school for troubled youth.

Huang said he was forced to clean the bathrooms in the boys' dormitory and endured racist bullying. On the other hand, he sometimes speaks fondly of his time in Kentucky. Decades later, he and his wife donated $2 million to build a new dormitory and classroom building at the school.

Mr. Huang's parents later joined him, and the family settled in Oregon. After skipping two grades and graduating early from high school, Huang studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University, graduating in 1984. While attending school, he met his laboratory partner, Lori Mills. This is the woman who will later become my wife. The two had two children together, Spencer and Madison.

As a teenager, Huang worked at Denny's diner, washing dishes, clearing tables, and serving customers. He has often said that this job helped him overcome his shyness and taught him the importance of hard work.