Will NVIDIA Employees Go on Strike?
Not over pay raises, nor additional paid leave.
But over the founder.
After 33 years building the company, Huang Renxun was pushed out in just four days.
GPU, CUDA, the entire global infrastructure powering today’s AI.
The game was over—just a press release.
On Sunday, Huang acknowledged the situation and apologized to his team.
The board has launched an independent investigation, led by the prominent U.S. law firm Wachtell Lipton and a former federal prosecutor.
Four days later, Huang resigned under pressure.
The investigation has yet to reach any conclusions. No evidence of technology leaks or related misconduct has been confirmed.
A verdict came early.
Now, amid news reports and market panic, the plug has been pulled on one of the most pivotal architects of the past decade.
This is the presumption of innocence—even for founders.
There have been similar precedents before.
In November 2023, OpenAI’s board abruptly fired Sam Altman on a Friday evening.
Within days, more than 700 of approximately 770 employees signed a letter: Bring Altman back, or we all walk.
Five days later, Altman returned—and most of the board members who had dismissed him departed.
This event became known as the “Altman precedent”: in a company built on talent, real power does not reside with the board, but with those who build.
NVIDIA’s engineers now hold that power.
They are the ones who keep the machine running. Without them, there will be no next-generation chips.
So, NVIDIA employees: will you tell the board, before the investigation concludes, that there will be no successor? Facts first, judgment later!
A founder is not merely a replaceable executive.
A founder is the soul of the company.
Apple learned this lesson in 1985, when it ousted Steve Jobs. It took 12 years and a near-collapse to bring him back.
NVIDIA won’t have 12 years.
The AI race won’t wait for anyone.
The soul of a company is not decided by board votes—it is defined by the values for which its people strive.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1881670054533260/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.