Jensen Huang’s Jaw-Dropping Salary: How Much Does NVIDIA’s CEO Really Make?

Jensen Huang’s Jaw-Dropping Salary: How Much Does NVIDIA’s CEO Really Make?

What is the net worth of Jensen Huang?

Jensen Huang, a Taiwanese-American billionaire entrepreneur and electrical engineer, has a net worth estimated at $120 billion. He amassed his wealth as the co-founder and CEO of Nvidia Corporation, a technology firm known for its development of GPUs, APIs, and SoCs, among other hardware and software solutions.

From 2016 to 2023, Huang's net worth experienced significant fluctuations, increasing from approximately $3 billion to a peak of $30 billion by the end of 2021, subsequently declining to $10 billion before rising again to $20 billion. He achieved billionaire status for the first time on May 28, 2024, when Nvidia's stock valuation reached $2.8 trillion. In terms of philanthropy, Huang has made substantial contributions to his alma maters, Oregon State University and Stanford University. Nvidia Stock Holdings Currently, Jensen Huang holds 3.5% of Nvidia's total outstanding shares, in addition to 3 million vested restricted stock units.

Early Life and Education

Born as Jen-Hsun Huang on February 17, 1963, in Tainan City, Taiwan, he relocated to the United States at the age of nine, initially residing in Oneida, Kentucky. There, he attended the Oneida Baptist Institute boarding school.

Eventually, his family settled in Oregon, where he completed his education at Aloha High School in the Portland suburbs. Huang pursued higher education at Oregon State University in Corvallis, earning a degree in electrical engineering in 1984. He later enrolled in a master's program in electrical engineering at Stanford University, from which he graduated in 1992.

Stanford University

Career Beginnings

Following the completion of his master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford in 1992, Huang took on the role of director at LSI Logic Corporation in Santa Clara. He also served as a microprocessor designer at Advanced Micro Devices, a semiconductor company based in Santa Clara.

Nvidia Corporation

In 1993, Jensen Huang, along with former Sun Microsystems engineer Chris Malachowsky and ex-Sun and IBM senior engineer and graphics chip designer Curtis Priem, established Nvidia. The trio recognized that the future of computing would be driven by graphics and anticipated that video games would play a pivotal role in this evolution. Nvidia gained prominence in 1998 with the launch of the RIVA TNT, a graphics accelerator chip for personal computers, which cemented its status as a leader in graphics technology.

Nvidia Corporation, founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem, is a leading American multinational technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Specializing in the design of graphics processing units (GPUs), Nvidia has significantly influenced sectors such as gaming, professional visualization, data centers, and automotive technology.

The subsequent year marked the introduction of the GeForce 256, which brought on-board transformation and lighting capabilities to consumer-level 3D hardware, coinciding with the company's initial public offering. In the early 2000s, Nvidia expanded its portfolio through significant acquisitions, including 3dfx, Exluna, MediaQ, iReady, ULI Electronics, Hybrid Graphics, and Ageia.

Nvidia is particularly distinguished for its professional GPU lineup, which finds applications across various sectors such as engineering, architecture, entertainment, manufacturing, and scientific research. The company has also developed an API known as CUDA, which enables the development of highly parallel programs that leverage GPU capabilities, widely utilized in supercomputing globally.

As Nvidia has evolved, it has increasingly ventured into mobile computing, focusing on vehicle navigation systems and mobile processors for smartphones and tablets. Furthermore, it has enhanced its footprint in the gaming sector by producing handheld consoles like the Shield Portable and launching the cloud gaming service GeForce Now. Nvidia has also emerged as a frontrunner in the field of artificial intelligence.

Philanthropy

In the realm of philanthropy, Huang made a significant contribution of $50 million to Oregon State University, his alma mater, in 2022. This funding was designated for the creation of a supercomputing institute on the university's campus. Prior to this, he had also contributed $30 million to Stanford University, another of his alma maters, to support the establishment of the Jen-Hsun Huang School of Engineering Center. Furthermore, he donated $2 million to the Oneida Baptist Institute, which he attended in his youth, to facilitate the construction of a new dormitory and classroom building for girls. 

Honors and Awards

Huang has received numerous honors and awards in recognition of his corporate achievements and philanthropic efforts. In 2003, he was awarded the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award by the Fabless Semiconductor Association. He subsequently received the Daniel J. Epstein Engineering Management Award from the University of Southern California. In 2007, he was honored with the Pioneer Business Leader Award from the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, and in 2009, he was conferred an honorary doctorate by Oregon State University.

Among his other accolades is the Robert N. Noyce Award, the highest distinction presented by the Semiconductor Industry Association. In 2021, he was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.

 Personal Life & Real Estate

Huang is married to Lori, whom he initially encountered while they were both engineering lab partners at Oregon State University. Together, they have two children. Shortly after completing their studies at Oregon State, Jensen and Lori purchased a 1,500 square foot residence in San Jose, California. They sold this property in 1988 for $185,000. In the same year, they acquired a new home in San Jose for $338,000. In 1999, coinciding with NVIDIA's public offering, the Huangs sold their home for $500,000 in 2002. In 2003, the Huangs invested $6.9 million in a newly constructed 7,000 square foot mansion located in Los Altos Hills, California. They still own this property, which serves as their primary residence in California.

In 2004, the Huangs acquired an 8,000 square foot mansion located in a gated community in Maui for a sum of $7.5 million. Subsequently, in 2017, they purchased a newly-built mansion in San Francisco, which spans 11,400 square feet, for a total of $37 million. Jensen Huang’s journey from a young immigrant to the visionary leader of Nvidia highlights the transformative power of innovation and determination.

His pioneering contributions have not only reshaped the tech industry but also positioned Nvidia as a global leader in GPUs and AI. Beyond his professional achievements, Huang’s philanthropic efforts demonstrate his commitment to giving back, leaving a lasting legacy in education and technology. With a remarkable career and net worth reflecting his impact, Huang continues to influence the future of computing and inspire generations of entrepreneurs worldwide.