Five things to know about Nvidia
NEW YORK: After launching as a small gaming start-up and morphing into the top chip designer for artificial intelligence, US tech giant Nvidia faces unprecedented turbulence after its co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang reportedly had a second extramarital affair with an employee.
Here are five essential facts about Nvidia, the US tech giant:
Nvidia, initially a gaming start-up, has evolved into a leading chip designer for artificial intelligence (AI). Its co-founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, has been embroiled in controversy due to allegations of extramarital affairs, with one woman reportedly being a Chinese spy.
The company's core technology lies in its graphics processing units (GPUs), which are far more powerful than conventional microprocessors (CPUs). GPUs have become crucial for managing user requests for generative AI, a type of AI capable of creating text, music, images, or video based on simple language prompts. For instance, ChatGPT requires approximately 30,000 GPUs to operate.
Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem, Nvidia's name comes from "N" and "V," representing "Next Version," and the Latin word "invidia," meaning envy or jealousy. The company's logo features a stylized green and white eye, symbolizing the concept of the "evil eye."
In its early days, Nvidia aimed to capitalize on the growing video game industry, launching the world's first GPU in 1999. Today, it dominates the standalone GPU market, accounting for about 90% of shipments worldwide in the first quarter of the year. The company manufactures its chips but does not own manufacturing facilities, outsourcing production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), where Huang was born.
Nvidia posted a net profit of $120 billion for its last fiscal year ending January 25, 2026, with revenue reaching $216 billion. Founder and CEO Jensen Huang has ambitious plans for the company, foreseeing annual revenue of $1 trillion by 2027. He is also known for advocating open AI models, promoting healthy competition against closed models from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
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