History of Jensen Huang in Timeline

Jensen Huang is the CEO, co-founder, and president of Nvidia, a leading semiconductor company. As of 2025, his estimated net worth is $164 billion, ranking him among the wealthiest people globally. Huang's leadership has been pivotal in Nvidia's growth and dominance in the semiconductor industry.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

February 17, 1963: Jen-Hsun "Jensen" Huang Born

On February 17, 1963, Jen-Hsun "Jensen" Huang was born. He is now a Taiwanese and American business executive, electrical engineer, and philanthropist, currently serving as the president, co-founder, and CEO of Nvidia.

Others born on this day/year

1973: Huang moves to the US

In 1973, Jensen Huang and his older brother moved to live with an uncle in Tacoma, Washington, escaping widespread social unrest in Thailand. They were accidentally enrolled in the Oneida Baptist Institute in Kentucky.

1978: Huang's First Job at Denny's

In 1978, at the age of 15, Jensen Huang began working the graveyard shift at a local Denny's restaurant as a dishwasher, busboy, and waiter.

1983: Huang Ends Job at Denny's

In 1983, Jensen Huang ended his job at Denny's where he had been working since 1978.

1984: Huang Graduates from Oregon State University

In 1984, at the age of 20, Jensen Huang graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and computer science.

1987: Revenue Increase at Sun Microsystems

In 1987 Sun Microsystems' revenue was $262 million.

1989: Finalization of GX Graphics Engine

In 1989, Huang, Malachowsky, and Priem finalized the accelerator, which they called the "GX graphics engine".

1990: Huang Resigns from Sun Microsystems

After business slowed for Sun Microsystems, in 1990, Jensen Huang, along with Priem and Malachowsky, resigned to start a venture making graphics chips for PC games.

1990: Revenue Increase at Sun Microsystems

In 1990 Sun Microsystems' revenue was $656 million, aided by the GX graphics engine.

1992: Meetings at Denny's to Formulate Business Plan

In 1992, Jensen Huang, Priem, and Malachowsky met frequently at a Denny's roadside diner in East San Jose to formulate a business plan for their new company, Nvidia. They founded the company during one meeting at a breakfast booth at the diner.

1992: Huang Earns Master's Degree from Stanford

In 1992, while working as a microchip designer in Silicon Valley, Jensen Huang earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

April 5, 1993: Nvidia's Incorporation

On April 5, 1993, Jensen Huang personally signed Nvidia's original articles of incorporation into effect.

1993: Challenges in Starting Nvidia

In 1993, Jensen Huang and his co-founders faced significant challenges in starting Nvidia, realizing it was much harder than they anticipated.

1993: Huang launched Nvidia

In 1993, after earning his master's degree from Stanford University, Jensen Huang, at age 30, launched Nvidia from a local Denny's restaurant, and has remained its president and CEO since its founding.

August 1997: Release of RIVA 128

In August 1997, Nvidia released the RIVA 128, which saved the company from near bankruptcy, with only one month of payroll remaining.

1999: Huangs Lived in Ordinary Homes Before 1999

Before Nvidia went public in 1999, the Huang family lived in ordinary middle-class starter homes in San Jose.

1999: Nvidia Goes Public

In 1999, Nvidia's stock went public.

2002: Huang Recalls Life in Kentucky

In 2002, Jensen Huang recalled that he remembered his life in Kentucky "more vividly than just about any other".

2003: Huangs Moved to a Larger House in Los Altos Hills

In 2003, the Huang family moved to a larger house in Los Altos Hills, California.

2007: Huang's Salary as CEO

In 2007, Jensen Huang earned US$24.6 million as CEO, ranking him as the 61st highest paid U.S. CEO by Forbes.

2008: Nvidia's Contribution to Wenchuan Earthquake Relief

In 2008, Nvidia contributed funds to establish a classroom at the Beijing Haidian Foreign Language Shi Yan School for students affected by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. Jensen Huang also donated US$30 million to Stanford University to establish the Jen-Hsun Huang School of Engineering Center.

2012: Comparison to "Linsanity"

In June 2024, the news media compared the "Jensanity" phenomenon surrounding Jensen Huang in Taiwan to the "Linsanity" phenomenon of 2012.

2015: Spencer Huang Launches Bar in Taipei

In 2015, Jensen Huang's son, Spencer Huang, launched a bar in Taipei, which was later honored as one of the top 50 bars in Asia by Forbes.

2017: Nvidia's Recognition

In 2017, a Fortune profile acknowledged that Nvidia was not widely known beyond gamers and computer graphics experts.

2017: Huangs Acquired a Mansion in San Francisco

In 2017, a limited liability company reportedly linked to the Huangs acquired a mansion in San Francisco for $38 million.

2019: Huang's Net Worth at US$3 Billion

In 2019, Huang's net worth was US$3 billion.

2019: Huang Donates to Oneida Baptist Institute

In 2019, Jensen Huang donated $2 million to his former school, Oneida Baptist Institute, for the construction of Huang Hall.

May 2021: Spencer Huang's Bar Closes in Taipei

In May 2021, Spencer Huang's bar in Taipei, which was previously honored as one of the top 50 bars in Asia by Forbes, closed.

2021: Huang Named One of Time's Most Influential People

In 2021, Time magazine recognized Jensen Huang as one of the most influential people in the world.

2022: Huang Donates to Oregon State University

In 2022, Jensen Huang gifted US$50 million to Oregon State University as part of a US$200 million philanthropic contribution to establish a supercomputing institute.

March 2024: Zuckerberg Compares Huang to Taylor Swift

In March 2024, Mark Zuckerberg compared Jensen Huang to Taylor Swift in the tech world.

May 2024: Huang's Net Worth Rises to $90 Billion

During the AI boom, by May 2024, Jensen Huang's net worth rose to US$90 billion from US$3 billion in 2019.

June 2024: Nvidia's Market Cap Reaches $3 Trillion

In June 2024, Nvidia's market capitalization reached US$3 trillion for the first time, and Jensen Huang's net worth grew to US$100 billion.

November 2024: Huang's Management Style in November 2024

As of November 2024, Jensen Huang maintains a relatively flat management structure at Nvidia, with around 60 direct reports.

2024: Huang's Tenure as Nvidia CEO

As of 2024, Jensen Huang has been Nvidia's chief executive for over three decades.

2024: Huang Named One of Time's Most Influential People (Again)

In 2024, Time magazine once again named Jensen Huang as one of the most influential people in the world.

January 2025: Huang's Keynote at Consumer Electronics Show

In January 2025, Jensen Huang delivered the keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and announced a new gaming chip called the GeForce RTX 50-series and new chips for both PCs and laptops.

May 2025: Huang Visits Taiwan for Computex and World Masters Games

In May 2025, Jensen Huang traveled to Taiwan to deliver the keynote address at Computex 2025 and attend the opening ceremony of the World Masters Games as a guest of honor, with "Jensanity" recurring during his visit.

July 2025: Nvidia Reaches $4 Trillion Market Cap

Under Jensen Huang's leadership, Nvidia experienced rapid growth during the AI boom, becoming the first company to reach a market capitalization of $4.0 trillion in July 2025.