Earlier this month, Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang offered a reality check on what it truly takes to lead one of the world's most valuable tech companies.
Being A CEO Is Lifetime Of Sacrifice, Not A Position Of Power: Huang
Speaking at the University of Cambridge, where he received the 2025 Professor Stephen Hawking Fellowship Award, Huang told students that being a CEO is far from glamorous.
He said the world misunderstands what it really means to run a company — especially one that has grown into a $4.4 trillion semiconductor powerhouse.
"Most people think that it's about leading and being in command and being on top," he said. "None of that is true. You're in service of the company."
Huang explained that leadership is mostly about creating the conditions for others to succeed, which often requires making painful decisions in very difficult times.
He didn't hold back about the personal cost either, saying it is "mostly about pain and suffering," "sacrifice" and "determination."
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Why He Became CEO — And Why His Co-Founders Didn't Want The Job
Huang described how Nvidia began in a Denny's booth in 1993, without a business plan and with no leadership experience.
When asked why he, not his co-founders Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem, ultimately became CEO, he offered a candid answer: "They didn't want the job."
"In retrospect, I could have been smarter myself… to be CEO is a lifetime of sacrifice," Huang stated.
See Also: Nvidia Vs. AMD: The Gap Isn't Closing — It's Getting Wider
Immigrant Roots And A Hard Childhood Shaped His Work Ethic
Huang credited his upbringing for preparing him for the pressures of leadership. His family immigrated to the U.S with limited means. He described those early years as filled with challenge, effort and uncertainty.
That life of struggle — earning everything, taking nothing for granted — was good CEO training, he said.
The Nvidia CEO added that his mother constantly told him he was "special," a belief that fueled his resilience.
"[My mother] left me with an impression that nothing could be that hard… and people have seen me adapt," he said.
Nvidia Set To Deliver Another Strong Quarter
Nvidia is poised to serve as a major market and tech-sector barometer when it releases its third-quarter earnings on Wednesday after the closing bell.
Wall Street expects the company to post third-quarter revenue of $54.84 billion, a sharp increase from the $35.08 billion reported during the same period last year, according to Benzinga Pro.
Nvidia has surpassed revenue expectations for 12 consecutive quarters.
The company previously projected third-quarter revenue between $52.92 billion and $55.08 billion.
The semiconductor heavyweight ranks in the 98th percentile for Growth and 92nd percentile for Quality in Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings, underscoring its strong performance compared with industry peers.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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