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How Jensen Huang Built Nvidia Into the Heart of the AI Revolution
When you sit across from Jensen Huang, the co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, you quickly realize this is not just the story of a chip company. It’s a story of survival bets, a relentless obsession with the future, and a founder who turned near-death moments into strategic inflection points that shaped the modern computing world.
At the time of this Acquired interview, Nvidia is worth $1.1 trillion and sits at the center of the AI explosion. But the story starts far away from AI, in the late 1990s, when Nvidia had only six months of cash left and everything was on the line.
The RIVA 128 Bet: One Short, One Chip
In 1997, Nvidia rolled the dice on its RIVA 128 graphics chip. The company couldn’t afford the luxury of multiple redesigns. As Jensen recalls, “If we only had six months and you get to tape out just one time, then obviously you’re going to tape out a perfect chip.”
The catch? They hadn’t even seen a prototype. Using an emulator from a nearly defunct company, Nvidia virtually tested the chip, developed its software stack and went straight to production.
It was do or die. And it worked.
That moment wasn’t just about survival. It hardwired a philosophy into Nvidia’s DNA: simulate…
