Huang Renxun resigns! In an instant, Huang Renxun has gone from being the central figure at NVIDIA to a mere shareholder—no longer even a board member. In 1993, Huang and two partners pooled just $40,000 in startup capital, discussing their venture in a Denny’s restaurant chain. Few could have foreseen that this two-person enterprise would become one of the most prominent stars in the AI industry. Fewer still could have imagined that, after 33 years, the company’s founding architect would be cast out by capital he helped build.
During the company’s darkest hour, Huang stood firm. When NVIDIA’s first chip, NV1, misjudged the market direction and clashed with Microsoft’s standards, sales stalled and orders dried up. The company’s cash reserves were nearly exhausted, with bankruptcy looming in just 30 days—a perilous chapter in NVIDIA’s rise to prominence. Yet Huang persisted amid pressure and skepticism, betting heavily on CUDA, forging a new path beyond graphics cards into the domain of AI computing power.
It was under his leadership that NVIDIA evolved from an obscure graphics specialist into a cornerstone of the AI era, a company valued at over $5 trillion. Its influence reached its peak, and Huang himself became a globally recognized figure in entrepreneurship. Just two days before the resignation announcement, he entered the office as usual, presided over a morning executive meeting, apologized to his team, and declared: “I remain fully committed to NVIDIA’s work and will strive to regain your trust.”
Yet now, a single notice has transformed him into someone who must register at reception, apply for visitor credentials, follow formal guest protocols, and be escorted—once again, a regular visitor rather than the man who once walked through those doors without pause. The CEO’s office is no longer his. Employee access cards, internal passes, system privileges—all severed from the moment of his departure. Three decades of shared struggle culminate in a silent exit. The era of Huang Renxun at NVIDIA has come to an end.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881663205038155/
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