NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang: 'I am the embodiment of the American Dream'

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, in a conversation with former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, stated that a series of highly improbable events led to the creation of NVIDIA, and that he is a concrete embodiment of the American Dream. He recalled his parents' sacrifices, his brother's brave journey bringing him to the United States, and how the spirit of immigrants constantly striving for betterment deeply influenced him.

To welcome the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the Hoover Institution planned the "Only In America"人物系列访谈 (figure series interviews), hosted by its director, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to explore stories of the American Dream. In the first episode, Rice and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang conversed at NVIDIA's Silicon Valley headquarters.

In the program, which was released today, Huang began by recounting his journey immigrating to the US at the age of nine. Born in Taiwan, his family moved to Thailand at age five due to his father's work, staying for four years. Later, a coup occurred in Thailand, and his parents sent him and his brother to relatives in Tacoma, Washington. His first impression of the place was the strange feeling of carpets indoors.

Huang recalled his deep sibling bond: "My brother was truly amazing."

He spoke of the initial impact of American culture on him, from morning cereals and television shows to afternoon sitcoms like "The Partridge Family," and "all sorts of candy, SNICKERS chocolate bars."

Three months later, the Huang brothers were sent to Kentucky. Their parents enrolled them in a cheaper, less selective boarding school. The small town they lived in, Oneida, had only 600 people. Rice remarked that she had never heard of Oneida before the interview.

Huang said he followed his brother everywhere. "My brother was truly amazing," he said, referring to a 10-year-old boy taking him to so many places.

He admitted that in 1973, Kentucky, USA, still had some prejudices, and Chinese faces were unfamiliar to the local community. He joined the swim team and the soccer team. "After a swimming competition, the coach took us to the most incredible restaurant in the world. The food was served in boxes, the menu was lit up, and we sat in a restaurant that looked like a spaceship. That was McDonald's."

Huang mentioned that his father had trained in New York, USA, when he was four years old. That experience left a deep impression on his father about America and sparked the idea of bringing his family to the US in the future. Huang said, "What's truly amazing about immigration is that you come with few preconceived expectations but with great hope and dreams, and because of that, you cherish everything you have."

"Eliminating opponents with statistics" to pursue his wife; Huang: Understood strategy at a young age

He said his parents later came to the US. "My mother worked as a cleaner at a Catholic school, and my father was an engineer." His parents saved diligently. His father bought a green van and once drove them from Oregon to Los Angeles to visit Disneyland.

Talking about his education, Huang said he loved math and science in high school and didn't have many friends. Later, his best friend said he wanted to go to Oregon State University. Huang thought it sounded good and, upon entering, met a girl named Lori.

Huang mentioned how he met his wife. "In a class with 250 boys, she was one of only three girls. I was the youngest student in the entire school, only 16 at the time, and she was a year and a half older than me. I was determined to get to know her."

He shared his method of pursuing Lori: eliminating others from a statistical perspective and finding a way to get into her lab class. "This way, I reduced the number of competitors from 250 to 4." He described it as smart and strategic. He laughed, saying, "Finally, I used the ultimate pickup line on her (Lori), asking if she wanted to see my homework."

Huang later accepted an opportunity from AMD, working while also studying at Stanford University, spending 8 years to earn his master's degree. He said, "Perhaps no one paid more tuition to Stanford than I did." During that time, his son, Huang Shenbin, and daughter, Huang Minshan, were born, and he founded NVIDIA.

Young people doubt the American Dream; Huang: Return to first principles thinking

The interview video interspersed early media reports about NVIDIA. Huang discussed how he viewed the American Dream.

He said the American Dream has its core foundation. "It exists for a reason. There is a purpose driving it, a promise within it, and pillars supporting it... We have a word for it, and that word is freedom."

Rice asked about concerns that "AI will take jobs" or doubts about "whether the American Dream still exists." How does Huang see it?

Huang encouraged young people to return to "First principles" when looking at things, asking themselves: "What are my core values? What made me who I am today? What is my vision? And then rediscover that origin point."

Huang said that when technology is transforming and the world is changing, it is precisely the opportunity to pursue excellence. Under the current circumstances, making real change is very difficult. "I will delve deeply into the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) and do everything I can to utilize it."

Speaking about AI, Huang believes that the US must remain vigilant. When formulating policies, it should not hinder the most important layer, the application layer among the five layers of the cake, because whoever can advance the most in this layer will have the greatest opportunity to grasp this industrial revolution.

He said that in many ways, NVIDIA is an "Only In America" story, and he is a "concrete embodiment of the American Dream." (Editor: Wei Shu) 1150611