Jensen Huang's Seoul Fried Chicken Dinner Sparks Market Frenzy and Major AI Partnerships
11 Sources
[1]
Three billionaires dropped by a fried-chicken joint -- and Jensen Huang bought everyone dinner | Fortune
On Thursday evening, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong and [hotlink]Hyundai Motor[/hotlink] Group executive chair Chung Eui-sun for fried chicken and beer at a small restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam District. The outing -- which appeared, according to
[2]
Why SK Hynix skipped the fried chicken and beer summit
When Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang arrived in South Korea, global attention turned to a viral "chimaek" (fried chicken and beer) dinner on October 30 featuring Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Executive Chair Chung Eui-sun. Yet, the spotlight shifted the following day to SK Group -- and
[3]
NVIDIA CEO enjoys some fried chicken, beer with Samsung and Hyundai executives in South Korea
TL;DR: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang met with Samsung and Hyundai executives at the APEC summit, discussing key partnerships amid Samsung's HBM3 memory challenges. NVIDIA plans to use Samsung's advanced HBM4 and HBM4E memory in upcoming AI GPUs, strengthening its semiconductor supply chain alongside TSMC
[4]
Nvidia CEO expects to make announcements with South Korean partners this week
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang anticipates making announcements with South Korean companies during his upcoming visit that will please both President Trump and South Korea. He highlighted partnerships with Samsung Electronics and Hyundai, noting their planned investments in AI factories. Huang expressed
[5]
These High-Profile Tech Tycoons' Dinner Outing Triggers Fried Chicken Stock Surge In South Korea - NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)
A casual dinner outing in Seoul by three tech billionaires has led to a significant surge in South Korean fried chicken stocks. Jensen Huang, Lee Jae-yong, and Chung Eui-sun were spotted dining at Kkanbu Chicken, a popular restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam district, last Thursday. The high-profile
[6]
NVIDIA's CEO Is Apparently Having a 'Great Time' With Samsung & Hyundai Executives in Korea; Fried Chicken, Beers, and Plenty of Spicy Comments
NVIDIA's Jensen Huang is currently in South Korea for the APEC summit, and it seems he is having a pretty interesting day, spending time with his 'executive friends' at Samsung and Hyundai. This week has been a jam-packed one for NVIDIA's CEO, as Jensen delivered one of the most important keynotes
[7]
Why did Jensen Huang's 'chimaek summit' omit the chair of Nvidia's No 1 Korean supplier? - The Korea Times
When Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang arrived in South Korea, global attention turned to a viral "chimaek" (fried chicken and beer) dinner on October 30, featuring Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Group's Executive Chair Chung Eui-sun. Yet, the spotlight shifted the following day to SK Group,
[8]
Nvidia's Huang talks AI cooperation with Samsung, Hyundai over fried chicken and beer
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang feasted on fried chicken and beer with Samsung Electronics Chairperson Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Chairperson Chung Eui-sun on Thursday. The executive discussed methods to establish the AI ecosystem with Samsung Electronics, which has cleared Nvidia's test for its
[9]
Nvidia to supply AI chips to Samsung, SK, Hyundai: sources - The Korea Times
U.S. tech giant Nvidia is widely expected to supply artificial intelligence (AI) chips to Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK Group, sources said Wednesday. This week Nvidia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang is set to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
[10]
Nvidia's Huang to announce AI chip deals with Samsung and Hyundai By Investing.com
Investing.com -- Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang is set to announce new AI chip supply contracts with major South Korean companies during his visit to the country this week, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday. The agreements will reportedly include partnerships with Samsung Electronics Co.,
[11]
Chicken and chips in Seoul - for Nvidia, Samsung and Hyundai
In a low-key fried chicken shop in southern Seoul, the leaders of Nvidia, Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor held an informal meeting on the evening of October 30, Korea JoongAng Daily reports. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor
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NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's viral dinner with Samsung and Hyundai executives at a Seoul fried chicken restaurant triggered a stock surge in Korean food companies while announcing major AI partnerships worth over 260,000 GPUs for South Korean firms.
The Viral Dinner That Moved Markets
On Thursday evening in Seoul's upscale Gangnam District, three of the world's most influential tech billionaires gathered for what appeared to be a simple dinner of fried chicken and beer. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong, and Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Chung Eui-sun shared platters of crispy chicken and cold beer at Kkanbu Chicken, a local franchise known for "chimaek" – South Korea's beloved combination of chicken and beer
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Source: Wccftech
The dinner, strategically positioned near the restaurant's front windows, offered onlookers a clear view of the billionaires clinking glasses and linking arms for toasts. Huang, dressed in his signature black leather jacket, chatted freely with fans and repeatedly left his table to hand out food to passersby, telling reporters, "I love fried chicken and I love beer, and I love fried chicken and beer with my friends"
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.Market Frenzy and 'Jensanity'
Within minutes, clips of the dinner spread across Korean social media, creating what local outlets dubbed a "Jensanity" moment
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. The viral nature of the event had immediate and dramatic market consequences. By the next morning, Kyochon F&B, one of South Korea's largest fried-chicken chains, saw its shares jump as much as 20%. Poultry processor Cherrybro Co. hit the daily trading limit with a 30% surge, while Neuromeka, a company manufacturing chicken-frying robots, also rallied5
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Source: Hankyoreh
Kkanbu Chicken, though privately held, reported sales spikes across the franchise after the news broke, with some outlets selling out of fried chicken entirely. The phenomenon underscored a broader pattern in South Korea's markets, where retail investors are known to chase sudden, meme-driven surges tied to cultural or political moments
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.Strategic Business Behind the Spectacle
Beyond the viral meal, the dinner carried substantial strategic weight. Huang was in Seoul for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summit, where he announced NVIDIA would supply more than 260,000 advanced graphics processing units to South Korean firms including Samsung and Hyundai
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. These chips will bolster South Korea's artificial intelligence capabilities across multiple sectors, including semiconductors and robotics.
Source: Korea Times
The timing wasn't coincidental. Huang had previously indicated he expected to make announcements with South Korean companies that would please both President Trump and South Korea, describing partnerships with Samsung Electronics and Hyundai as companies planning to "invest in AI factories" .
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The Missing Player: SK Hynix's Strategic Absence
Notably absent from the viral dinner was SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, whose company SK Hynix serves as NVIDIA's largest supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI chips. The absence wasn't a diplomatic slight but rather a matter of logistics and timing, as Chey was in final preparations for the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, 250 kilometers away
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.While Samsung and Hyundai enjoyed what many dubbed "cultural theater," SK Hynix secured substantial business outcomes. At the APEC Summit on October 31, NVIDIA announced an expanded partnership with SK Group to build an AI factory dedicated to semiconductor research, development, and production, deploying more than 50,000 NVIDIA GPUs and expected to become one of Korea's largest AI factories when completed in late 2027
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.Technology Partnerships and Future Implications
The partnerships extend beyond symbolic gestures to concrete technological collaborations. Samsung, despite facing challenges with its HBM3 memory, will supply NVIDIA with advanced HBM4 and HBM4E memory for upcoming AI GPUs. Samsung Foundry has also been included in NVIDIA's coveted NVLink ecosystem, alongside Intel, with rumors of a "huge partnership" between NVIDIA and Samsung currently under discussion
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.As Huang left the restaurant, he rang the golden bell to cover the $1,800 tab for all diners, writing in a signed note to his South Korean counterparts: "To our partnership and the future of the world"
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. The gesture came as his company became the first in history to reach a $5 trillion market capitalization.References
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