By Wen-Yee Lee and Ben Blanchard / Reuters
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Mobbed on trips to his birthplace, Taiwan, by excited fans, Nvidia’s former CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) was for many Taiwanese more than a hero — he helped the diplomatically isolated nation feel seen by the rest of the world, and instilled a sense of immense pride. His departure from Nvidia has left many reflecting on the loss of a charismatic champion who helped put Taiwan at the center of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, while raising questions about whether his successor can maintain the same close ties with its technology industry.“Jensen is the physical embodiment of how many in Taiwan see their nation, or at least wish the world would see it: Small but hard-working, nerdy and tech-savvy, the master of a niche, rising from humble roots to becoming a global player,” wrote Tim Culpan, founder and writer for Taipei-based independent media outlet Culpium.
People crowd around Nvidia Corp cofounder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang in Taipei ion June, 6, 2024.
Photo: CNA
For decades, Taiwan has played an indispensable role in global technology manufacturing while receiving relatively little public recognition for its contributions. Huang’s rise and his praise for Taiwan’s technological prowess helped change that, Culpan wrote. “Thanks to Jensen, Taiwanese felt seen.”
Lev Nachman, a political science professor at National Taiwan University, said Huang stood out among prominent Taiwanese technology executives for prioritizing local Taiwanese culture, including by speaking Taiwanese rather than Mandarin and frequenting night markets and local businesses.“I don’t remember the last time that a Taiwanese CEO ever prioritized Taiwanese identity in such a way, at least for a domestic Taiwanese audience,” Nachman said. Nachman said the controversy surrounding Huang’s relationship with businesswoman Alice Huang carried a geopolitical dimension because she is Chinese and he is Taiwanese. He said the scandal had brought “a lot of anger and sadness” from a Taiwanese perspective, as Huang had been seen as someone who advocated for the nation’s citizens. Beyond his celebrity status, Huang spent decades cultivating close personal relationships with Taiwan’s technology leaders, helping build a supplier network that became the backbone of Nvidia’s dominance in AI computing. During his frequent visits to Taiwan, he hosted gatherings of executives from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), Foxconn, Wistron, Quanta Computer and other suppliers, dubbed “trillion-dollar dinners” by local media after the combined market value of the companies represented. In May, Huang described Taiwan as the “epicenter” of the AI revolution and said Nvidia planned to invest about US$150 billion a year in Taiwan. His relationship with TSMC founder Morris Chang (張忠謀), whose company manufactures Nvidia’s most advanced chips, stretched back almost three decades.“Without you, Nvidia wouldn’t be possible. And without TSMC, the entire world’s technology industries today would not be possible,” Huang said at a ceremony honoring Chang. Paul P. Wang, chairman of the KT Li Foundation and founder of telecom and broadband equipment maker Sercomm, who invited Huang to Taiwan for the ceremony, said Huang’s personal charisma had helped bring together Taiwan’s most influential technology executives.“They were like brothers,” Wang said in an interview. Wang said Huang’s dual Taiwanese and American identity had made him an important ambassador for Taiwan, promoting its technological achievements to the world. Wang worried that relationships with Taiwanese suppliers could weaken under new leadership.“With a new CEO, those relationships won’t be as close as they were with Jensen Huang,” he said. “Those relationships will have to be built again.”For Taiwan, given that the events that brought down Huang contained accusations of Chinese spying, there could be other implications. Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said on Thursday that the government had a responsibility to uncover whether there are any loopholes in Taiwan’s high-tech product export controls.“Could such loopholes cause international concern about Taiwan, and could they shake confidence in us? I think that’s the bigger issue,” he said. Nachman said Huang’s departure could have political implications as Taiwan prepares for its next presidential race, in which the semiconductor industry’s role in economic growth and ties with global technology giants could become key issues. President William Lai (賴清德) would face questions about his government’s relationship with the major technology giants and why voters should continue to have confidence in the ruling party, Nachman said.“With Jensen gone, I think this is going to be a major lifeline loss for Taiwan,” he said.