NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's Humble Beginnings: From Dishwasher to Tech Titan

Nvidia founder was a 'Dishwasher, Busboy, Waiter'. Jensen Huang reveals how these early jobs made him successful

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has recently captured public attention with a surprising detail on his LinkedIn profile: his early work experiences as a dishwasher, busboy, and waiter. The 61-year-old billionaire, who now leads the world's most valuable chipmaker, has included these roles from his teenage years at Denny's, a popular American diner chain, in his professional history. Huang's LinkedIn profile, which highlights his transition from a high-profile tech executive to a former diner worker, has gone viral, sparking widespread discussion across social media. Users have expressed awe and inspiration at Huang's journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the world's richest individuals, with a net worth currently estimated at $111 billion. Born in Taiwan, Huang immigrated to the United States as a young boy and grew up in Oregon. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he worked at Denny's, starting as a dishwasher and eventually moving up to busboy and waiter. These roles, though modest, have been prominently featured on his LinkedIn profile, which details his early career from 1978 to 1983. The attention on Huang's past roles has led many to reflect on his remarkable career trajectory. Huang has previously shared insights into his early work experiences during interviews. In a fireside chat with Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, Huang recalled, "I had all kinds of jobs and we went to a school that included a lot of chores. My parents were not wealthy but taught me the value of hard work." Huang emphasized how these early jobs taught him discipline and resilience, shaping his work ethic and leadership style. Huang's LinkedIn profile skips over significant roles in his career, such as his positions as director of CoreWare at LSI Logic and a microprocessor designer at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Instead, it jumps directly to 1993, the year Huang co-founded Nvidia with Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. Under Huang's leadership, Nvidia has experienced extraordinary growth, with the company's stock price increasing by over 3,700% since 2019, largely driven by the surge in demand for AI technologies. Huang's success story has captivated many, with social media users praising his work ethic and journey. One user on X remarked, "Huang's story is a reminder that no task is beneath anyone. His rise from dishwasher to CEO shows the value of hard work and humility." Another added, "His career path is one of the most motivational things I have ever seen." Huang has previously shared insights into his early work experiences during interviews. In a fireside chat with Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, Huang recalled, "I had all kinds of jobs and we went to a school that included a lot of chores. My parents were not wealthy but taught me the value of hard work." Huang emphasized how these early jobs taught him discipline and resilience, shaping his work ethic and leadership style. In a recent interview with Stanford Graduate School of Business, Huang reflected on his early jobs, saying, "I never left the station empty-handed. I never came back empty-handed. I was very efficient." Huang's approach to his work, regardless of the role, has clearly influenced his leadership at Nvidia, where he continues to drive innovation and success.

The '10-year' work experience missing from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's LinkedIn profile - Times of India

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has updated his LinkedIn profile to include his early career experiences as a waiter and busboy. Huang's LinkedIn profile now showcases his time working at a local restaurant, where he gained valuable skills and experience. Huang's LinkedIn profile features two work experiences. His most recent role is as the Founder and CEO of Nvidia, a position he has held since 1993.Prior to that, he worked as a dishwasher, busboy, and waiter at Denny's, a diner-style restaurant chain. The 61-year-old spent five years at Denny's, from 1978 to 1983. In March of this year, Huang shared his experiences working at the breakfast chain Denny's during an interview at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. ''To me, no task is beneath me because, remember, I used to be a dishwasher. I used to clean toilets. I cleaned a lot of toilets. I've cleaned more toilets than all of you combined,'' said Huang 10 years of missing work experience Interestingly, a decade of work experience is missing from his LinkedIn profile. After completing his university studies, Huang held the position of Director of CoreWare at LSI Logic and worked as a microprocessor designer at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). These two previous employers are not mentioned on his LinkedIn profile, which skips from 1983 to 1993, the year he founded Nvidia at the age of 30. How users reacted to Huang's updated profile 'Keeps you humble to remember your roots.' 'Now this is called Motivation' 'Well, I bet he was the best busboy and waiter at Denny's. He was probably also the only one that was drunk or stoned.' 'Just give us a good earnings report for god's sake.' The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk's news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.