
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says he’s created more billionaires than any CEO in the world: ‘Don’t feel sad for anybody at my layer’
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The tech executive is worth a staggering $151 billion—and luckily for staff, Nvidia’s unique stock option allows them to reap the gains of the $4 trillion company too.
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July 28, 2025
03:11 PM
Fortune
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The analysis demonstrates Success·Jensen HuangNvidia CEO Jensen Huang says he’s created more billionaires than any CEO in the world: ‘Don’t feel sad for anybody at my layer’By Emma BurleighBy Emma BurleighReporter, SuccessEmma BurleighReporter, SuccessEmma Burleigh is a reporter at Fortune, covering success, careers, entrepreneurship, and personal finance
However, Before joining the Success desk, she co-authored Fortune’s CHRO Daily, extensively covering the workplace and the future of jobs (an important development)
Emma has also written for publications including the Observer and The China ject, publishing long-form stories on culture, entertainment, and geo
She has a joint-master’s degree from New York University in Global Journalism and East Asian Studies, amid market uncertainty
SEE FULL BIO The executive is worth $151 billion, and Nvidia’s unique employee stock option allows staffers to reap the gains of the $4 trillion semiconductor company
Picture alliance / Getty ImagesNvidia CEO Jensen Huang is worth $151 billion—and he’s bringing his team along to the billionaires with him, given the current landscape
Moreover, The AI boss said that he’s minted more billionaires on his management team than “any CEO in the world. ” The culture at Nvidia is intense, but by shelling out for staffers, Huang reasons: “You take care of people, everything else takes care of itself
Nevertheless, ” Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang has amassed a $151 billion net worth thanks to the success of his $4 trillion semiconductor company
Additionally, And the ninth richest person in the world says he’s bringing his team into the exclusive billionaire thanks to Nvidia’s envy-inducing compensation packages. “I’ve created more billionaires on my management team than any CEO in the world,” Huang said recently during a panel hosted by venture capitalists running the All-In podcast. “They’re doing just fine
Additionally, Conversely, ” leaders at Meta, OpenAI, and Google are now also shelling out to attract top AI experts—with Meta even attempting to poach OpenAI employees with $100 million signing bonuses, according to leader Sam Altman
With the AI race being so hot, chief executives are reaping billion-dollar net worth gains from their company’s rising stock valuation, begging the question of whether their staffers are getting in on the pot of gold too (noteworthy indeed)
However, But Huang asserts that his employees are well-rewarded for Nvidia’s success. “Don’t feel sad for anybody at my layer,” Huang said. “My layer is doing just fine
In contrast, ” In fact, Huang noted that he personally reviews all employee compensation to ensure staffers’ wallets are stuffed
While he said the rumor that he has a stash of stock options on deck “is nuts,” he does confirm that he bumps wages every year to keep Nvidia workers happy. “I review everybody’s compensation up to this day,” Huang said. “I through all 42,000 employees, and 100% of the time I increase the company’s spend on [operating expenses] (which is quite significant)
However, And the reason for that is because you take care of people, everything else takes care of itself, considering recent developments. ” Nvidia declined Fortune‘s request for
Huang’s loves a small, well-paid team of AI geniuses—and ‘tortures’ them into greatness Nvidia employs tens of thousands of people—but having a small, nimble, well-funded AI team may be the ticket to the top
Huang emphasized that DeepSeek and Moonshot AI both have relatively slim AI crews, yet have capitulated to great success, amid market uncertainty. “150 or so AI reers can bably, with enough funding behind them, create an OpenAI,” Huang said during the panel (which is quite significant), in today's market environment. “OpenAI was 150 people, [as well as] Deepmind
They’re all that size
In contrast, There’s something the elegance of small teams, in today's financial world
On the other hand, ” Once talent manages to get onto the lean-and-mean AI team at Nvidia, they have to reckon with Huang’s cutthroat culture, in today's financial world
Moreover, Current and former staffers have described an “always-on” expectation, with one ex-employee saying she att seven to 10 meetings every day, where fighting and shouting was common
The CEO’s grindset has ly bled into the way staffers apach their work, and Huang’s leadership strategy entails pushing workers to the brink
But he isn’t willing to give up and fire people if they can’t do the job at hand, because he always thinks “they could imve, in today's market environment
Meanwhile, ” “I’d rather torture you into greatness because I believe in you,” Huang said during a fireside chat with Stripe CEO Patrick Collison last year
Additionally, While the CEO said he was being “tongue-in-cheek,” he doubled down: “I think coaches that really believe in their team torture them into greatness, in today's market environment
Conversely, ” And there’s an upside for working long hours and sitting through tense meetings—Nvidia employees get special compensation perks, amid market uncertainty
The company allows employees to contribute up to 15% of their salaries to buy up company s at a 15% discount (noteworthy indeed)
One mid-level employee even reportedly bought in for 18 years, and retired with s worth $62 million (quite telling), considering recent developments
It’s a deal that’s so lucrative that it’s become “golden handcuffs” for many staffers who can’t bear the thought of losing the perk, in today's financial world
In 2023, Nvidia had a 2
Moreover, 7% turnover rate, compared to 17
Nevertheless, 7% in the semiconductor industry at large, considering recent developments
Moreover, As Huang said in an interview with 60 Minutes last year: “If you want to do extraordinary things, it shouldn’t be easy, considering recent developments. ” Introducing the 2025 Fortune 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in America
Explore this year's list.
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