# NVIDIA: Jensen Huang. From near collapse to becoming the world’s biggest company

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2026-05-18
- Length: 1h 07m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company

## Summary

Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA, recounts the company's near-collapse in the mid-1990s following the catastrophic failure of the NV1 chip, which forced a strategic pivot to the Riva 128 and the development of CUDA. He explains how NVIDIA invested billions into the CUDA platform for general-purpose computing long before it found commercial viability, eventually enabling the AI revolution through gaming GPUs. Huang also discusses his leadership philosophy, his dismissal of AI extinction fears, and the personal sacrifices required to build the world's most valuable company.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=0) Introduction: NVIDIA's rise and early struggles
- [5:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=347) Jensen Huang's childhood and education at Oneonta Baptist Institute
- [11:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=664) Early career at LSI Logic and founding NVIDIA with Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem
- [15:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=921) The NV1 disaster and the decision to cancel the Sega contract
- [20:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=1248) The emulator Hail Mary and saving the company with the Riva 128
- [27:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=1620) Focusing on gaming and the influence of The Innovator's Dilemma
- [32:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=1942) The long bet on CUDA and parallel computing
- [38:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=2339) The discovery of AI's potential and the pivot to AI computing
- [46:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=2782) Huang's perspective on AI safety, job loss, and geopolitical risks
- [56:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-18-nvidia-jensen-huang-from-near-collapse-to-becoming-the-worlds-biggest-company#t=3380) Leadership style, personal sacrifice, and reflection on the journey

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- NVIDIA (company)
- NV1 (product)
- Riva 128 (product)
- CUDA (product)
- Sega (company)
- LSI Logic (company)
- TSMC (company)
- DirectX (product)
- ImageNet (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode 110: NVIDIA's Identity Crisis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-03-24-episode-110-nvidias-identity-crisis) (The Circuit)
- [Is NVIDIA like Sun from the Dot Com Bubble?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-06-27-is-nvidia-like-sun-from-the-dot-com-bubble) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Episode 32: Nvidia and the AI Raging Bull](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-09-05-episode-32-nvidia-and-the-ai-raging-bull) (The Circuit)
- [Episode 73: Nvidia's Moment, and The "Platformization" of GPUs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2024-06-24-episode-73-nvidias-moment-and-the-platformization-of-gpus) (The Circuit)
- [NVIDIA's Trojan horse, Yann LeCun Timebomb, 8 Sleep Mega Raise and the Physical AI Boom](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/built-2-scale/2025-08-22-nvidias-trojan-horse-yann-lecun-timebomb-8-sleep-mega-raise-and-the-physical-ai) (Built 2 Scale)

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