Jensen Huang’s stardom meal takes over Korea

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s rock stardom stormed South Korea, and he brought the usually staid corporate titans there along with him. He was joined Thursday by Hyundai Executive Chairman Chung Eui-sun and his counterpart at Samsung Electronics, Lee Jae-yong, for a meal together at a local fried chicken and beer joint as hundreds gathered outside for a glimpse of them. Huang was dressed in his usual outfit of a black shirt (though he took off his signature leather jacket), while Chung and Lee were also in casual attire, a rare public sighting of conservative executives who are usually in suits. They linked arms to do a soju/beer “love” shot, as average workers often do in post-office outings, and signed autographs. The Nvidia boss, who regularly poses for selfies with fans, also went outside the restaurant a few times to hand out kimbap, typical Korean street food fare, and treats to those gathered. The trio and other firms later announced a partnership for Nvidia to supply chips to Korean companies for self-driving cars and other products. The outing, which was likely staged, shows how much Huang is calling the shots with those he partners with, even on their home turf.