Jensen Huang, the founder who transformed NVIDIA into the backbone of the global artificial intelligence revolution, resigned from his positions as CEO and chairman on November 12.
The departure has unsettled the technology industry and sparked public sentiment in Taiwan, where Huang is widely celebrated as a native son and a cornerstone of the island’s technological prestige.
While the corporate transition is now underway, many in Taiwan are reflecting on Huang’s long-standing commitment to the island’s industrial ecosystem. Beyond his frequent public praise for Taiwan’s semiconductor prowess, Huang’s influence was cemented through tangible infrastructure projects.
In July 2026, during the inauguration of Wistron’s new facility in Dallas, Texas, Huang explicitly told the U.S. government that the American semiconductor and computer industries owe their current success to Taiwan’s support.
Huang’s advocacy for Taiwan was never merely rhetorical. In May 2025, NVIDIA announced a partnership with Foxconn and the Taiwanese government to construct an AI supercomputer utilizing 10,000 Blackwell GPUs. This infrastructure, supported by Foxconn subsidiary Big Innovation Company and the National Science and Technology Council, was designed to provide critical computing resources to Taiwanese research institutions, startups, and semiconductor innovators, including TSMC.
The sudden nature of his resignation has left many in Taiwan in a state of disbelief. Wang Yong-tai, a hairstylist who has cut Huang’s hair for nearly 10 years, described the news as deeply saddening, comparing the potential for a future return to the path Steve Jobs took at Apple.
Despite reports of personal scandals involving infidelity, including allegations involving a high-ranking NVIDIA executive and a businesswoman named Huang Le, the sentiment among many Taiwanese observers remains one of loyalty and gratitude.
The professional impact of his departure is being weighed carefully by industry leaders. Ho Chin-tsang, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs in Taiwan, told the New York Times just hours before the resignation that the government hoped for stability, noting, “He understands Taiwan better than anyone else.”
Meanwhile, Yeh Chun-hsien, a board member at TSMC, said that the company had been in talks with Huang regarding multi-year collaborations just four days prior to his exit. Yeh suggested that the impact on TSMC might be limited due to the overwhelming global demand for AI chips, noting, “If NVIDIA gets less, other customers will get more.”
Inside NVIDIA, the culture Huang cultivated is being defended by his staff. John Zedlewski, an engineering lead at the company, shared on X that Huang had personally utilized his professional network to help him secure a life-saving clinical trial for a severe cancer diagnosis.
“I owe him a debt of gratitude that is impossible to express in words,” Zedlewski wrote. He further explained that Huang’s management style—defined by technical rigor and a refusal to rely on hierarchy—was instrumental in solving complex engineering challenges, such as optimizing data flow in autonomous vehicle projects.
As the company moves forward, the board of directors, led by Harvey Jones, has emphasized its commitment to shareholders and partners. Yet, for many, the departure marks the end of an era defined by a unique personal connection between a global tech titan and the local engineers who built his vision.
While the future of the AI infrastructure projects initiated by Huang remains a point of intense focus for investors and government officials alike, the immediate period is one of transition. Whether Huang eventually makes a return to the industry or stays the course of his private life, his legacy in the halls of Taiwanese manufacturing and the global AI sector remains firmly established.
