Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has gone bold to say that he has produced more billionaires than any other CEO in the world. In an interview at the Hill and Valley Forum sponsored by the All-In Podcast, Huang rejected the idea that only large teams could make a difference and emphasized structure, focus, and capital. “I’ve created more billionaires on my management team than any CEO in the world,” he said. And do not pity anyone at my level.
However, to Huang, the actual message was not about wealth; it was about efficiency in AI development. Huang used OpenAI and DeepSeek in China, both of which began with a staff of approximately 150 researchers, to argue that well-funded small teams can transform the world. Why not create one instead of paying 20 or 30 billion dollars to acquire a company with 150 AI researchers? He was making a very valid point, that early investments in the right individuals and infrastructure can be worth more than end-stage acquisitions.
The discussion also mentioned the soaring price of AI talent. Co-host Chamath Palihapitiya mentioned that AI researchers are currently being given contracts equivalent to top-tier athletes. Meta is said to have made a four-year, billion-dollar offer to one AI researcher, which Huang did not refute. They no longer write code, he said. They are constructing the future.
In a stunning disclosure, Huang stated that he continues to personally vet the pay of Nvidia’s 42,000 staff with machine learning algorithms to evaluate pay offers. I have my ways, he said, and I use ML to filter through all that. When he was asked whether he personally distributes stock options, he replied, “Yeah, I got it in my pocket right now.” He said that it is worth spending more on operating costs to take care of employees, as it is worth it in the long run: “Take care of people; everything else takes care of itself.”
Huang has also made news in China recently, when he appeared at the China International Supply Chain Expo in a Tang suit and gave his speech partially in Mandarin. The move won the appreciation of the local audiences, with numerous people commending his fluency and cultural sensitivity. Huang is a leader, a comedian, and a world citizen who is creating more than billionaires; he is creating bridges.
