Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, praised SK Hynix's listing of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on Nasdaq as "incredibly successful" on July 15.
According to Yonhap News, Huang made the remarks after attending a 30th anniversary event for the partnership between NVIDIA and Japanese gaming company Sega in Akihabara, Tokyo. He expressed his happiness regarding the listing when asked for his thoughts on SK Hynix's ADR debut.
SK Hynix is a key partner supplying high-performance HBM (high bandwidth memory), a core component for NVIDIA's AI semiconductors. Huang's comments suggest that the influx of investment following SK Hynix's Nasdaq listing could signal positive developments for NVIDIA's AI ecosystem.
Following its listing, SK Hynix's ADR surged 27.29% on July 14, the third trading day, as perceptions of undervaluation spread.
Huang also announced plans to unveil a large-scale AI collaboration with the Japanese government on July 16. He stated, "Tomorrow can be seen as the starting point for AI in Japan," and indicated that he would announce various collaborations in AI and robotics with major Japanese companies.
Despite visiting South Korea twice recently, Huang faced controversy for not visiting Japan. However, he appears to have been preparing for AI collaborations with the cabinet of Sanae Takaichi and major Japanese manufacturers.
During the Sega anniversary event, Huang met with Sega CEO Haruki Satomi, former president Shoichiro Irimajiri, and Yu Suzuki, the developer of 'Virtua Fighter.' He acknowledged that without the pioneering 3D graphics of the Japanese gaming industry, NVIDIA and its current AI technology would not exist.
Huang remarked, "Japan has always been special to me, and the same goes for Sega. You should be proud that NVIDIA and Sega continue to collaborate today." He recounted how, during NVIDIA's early days, the company faced challenges with its first graphics chip, the NV1, which had issues. Irimajiri's support allowed the project to continue, leading to NVIDIA's eventual success.
He requested that Irimajiri, then vice president, convert a planned $5 million investment into private equity to allow for a redesign of the chip, a proposal that was accepted, resulting in the successful development of a new chip.
Reflecting on NVIDIA's near bankruptcy in 1995 and the poor technology choices made at the time, Huang stated, "It is unimaginable that we are here today, having become the world's largest company by market capitalization."
He emphasized the importance of friendship, partnership, and mutual support, stating, "Even though NVIDIA chose the wrong technology at that time, Irimajiri recognized that we had the right talent. Your friendship, support, and belief in us mean a lot to me."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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