How Jensen Huang shaped Nvidia’s journey from graphics card maker to semiconductor leader

From developing graphics chips for video games to powering the global artificial intelligence revolution, Nvidia’s transformation over three decades has been closely tied to the vision and leadership of co-founder Jensen Huang.

The 63-year-old’s resignation as CEO on Thursday following a controversy over extramarital affairs and alleged links to Chinese intelligence, has brought renewed attention to the man who turned a relatively unknown chipmaker into a technology powerhouse.

Nvidia's journey to the top began in 1993, when Huang and two other engineers set out to improve computer graphics for video games and multimedia applications. (REUTERS)Nvidia is today one of the world’s most valuable companies, supplying the advanced processors that power artificial intelligence models, data centres and high-performance computing systems.

But its journey to the top began in 1993, when Huang and two other engineers set out to improve computer graphics for video games and multimedia applications. ALSO READ | Nvidia shares plunge nearly 10% after Jensen Huang’s exit as CEO Over the next 33 years, Huang steered the company through several major technological shifts.

He took Nvidia from the competitive PC graphics market into parallel computing, artificial intelligence and, eventually, the infrastructure powering the generative AI boom. The company’s evolution was not simply about developing faster graphics cards.

It involved anticipating how computing would change and positioning Nvidia’s technology to meet those emerging needs. Here’s how Huang shaped Nvidia’s journey from a graphics card maker into a global semiconductor leader.

Nvidia was founded on April 5, 1993, by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. The three engineers shared a vision of bringing advanced 3D graphics to the gaming and multimedia markets. According to Nvidia’s corporate history, the founders believed that specialised graphics processors could make computers significantly better at handling complex visual tasks.

Huang, who had previously worked at semiconductor companies Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and LSI Logic, brought experience in chip design and the semiconductor industry. The early years were challenging. Nvidia’s first major product, the NV1, failed to establish the company as a dominant player.

It also faced financial difficulties after its subsequent NV2 project was cancelled. A crucial turning point came when Nvidia secured an investment from Sega following the failure of its NV2 development programme. Huang later recalled that the funding helped keep the company alive.

Rather than continuing with its original approach, Nvidia shifted towards developing graphics technology based on Microsoft’s DirectX standards. The decision helped the company stay in the race and laid the groundwork for its eventual success in the PC graphics market.

A defining moment in Nvidia’s history came in 1999, when it introduced the GeForce 256, which the company described as the world’s first GPU. The graphics processing unit was designed to handle complex graphics calculations, freeing the computer’s central processing unit (CPU) to perform other tasks.

The launch helped establish Nvidia as a serious contender in the PC gaming market. Its GeForce range subsequently became one of the best-known graphics card brands among gamers and computer enthusiasts. ALSO READ | Meet Colette Kress, the finance chief stepping in to steer Nvidia after Jensen Huang's exit Under Huang’s leadership, Nvidia continued investing in GPU development, improving graphics performance and introducing technologies that changed how video games were rendered.