Success· CompaniesNvidia CEO Jensen Huang sent re reports on Sundays to SoundHound’s CEO for back—an unusual ritual that helped grow the $5 billion AI firmBy Preston ForeBy Orianna Rosa RoyleBy Preston ForeStaff Writer, EducationPreston ForeStaff Writer, EducationPreston Fore is a reporter at Fortune, covering education and personal finance for the Success team.SEE FULL BIOBy Orianna Rosa RoyleAssociate Editor, SuccessOrianna Rosa RoyleAssociate Editor, SuccessOrianna Rosa Royle is the Success associate editor at Fortune, overseeing careers, leadership, and company culture coverage.
She was previously the senior reporter at Management Today, Britain's longest-running publication for CEOs.
SEE FULL BIO Nvidia’s Jensen Huang became an unly mentor to SoundHound’s Keyvan Mohajer—helping transform a dorm room idea into a $5 billion AI company.Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance via Getty ImagesNvidia CEO Jensen Huang struck up a relationship with SoundHound AI founder Keyvan Mohajer nearly a decade ago—one that included Sunday morning re exchanges and hands-on inspiration.
The bond helped shape Mohajer’s journey from a Stanford dorm room idea into an AI voice nology company worth $5.4 billion.
Along the way, Mohajer has drawn leadership inspiration not just from Huang, but also from Charlie Chaplin’s timeless creativity.
One random encounter can change the course of an entire career—and for SoundHound AI cofounder Keyvan Mohajer, that came when he met Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang around 10 years ago.
“It’s been one of the good things in my life to cross paths with Jensen and Nvidia,” Mohajer told Fortune, recalling that the two became acquainted because Huang “had a passion for what’s the next big thing, and he became very interested in our field.” That “thing,” was SoundHound AI—an AI voice communication company that first began in 2004 in his Stanford University dorm room.
And the unly encounter set the stage for a decade-long relationship that resulted in leadership inspiration and even a bit of work for Mohajer on some weekends.
On a Sunday morning, specifically, Huang would send Mohajer re papers with notes. “I had to read it and give my back,” Mohajer recalled.
This always-on mentality is something that’s unsurprising coming from Huang; after all, he’s admitted he is someone who works seven days of the week and even finds it hard to not think work.
But Huang’s hands-on nature, of all-in on —even on weekends—became a source of inspiration for Mohajer. In the end, their exchanges impressed Huang and even contributed to the company’s success.
SoundHound IPO’d in 2022, and by the end of 2023, Nvidia became an investor, purchasing 1.73 million s in Mohajer’s company. Its market cap has since soared to $5.4 billion at time of publication.
“He’s an amazing person, engineer and leader,” Mohajer said warmly Huang.
“Our relationship with him has been great.” Work-life balance is no blem, when you find your passion Growing an idea into a multi-billion-dollar company has been no easy feat for anyone, but Mohajer said it has been made easier by the fact he’s found what he loves doing—and it’s allowed him to blur the lines between work-life balance.
In fact, Mohajer starts his day before the crack of dawn, usually before 5 a.m., a time that he called his “golden hours” when no one else is awake to reply to his messages.
“Work-life balance is not a blem because I really enjoy it,” he said.
“If you work to , then work-life balance is a big question… but in my case, I really enjoy my work, so it’s not a blem.” And even when he escapes to spend time with his family, his passion for his work still creeps back in—but instead of being mad it, he embraces it.
“I do spend a lot of hours working. And even sometimes I go wash dishes and I’m still thinking my work,” Mohajer said. “That can be therapeutic, and it can give you really good ideas.
Sometimes I go exercise, and when I’m on a run, I come up with great ideas or solve new blems.” Mohajer’s leadership inspirations: Jensen Huang—and Charlie Chaplin On top of learning being hands-on from Huang, Mohajer said he’s been inspired by one of his favorite films, Modern Times—which was released in 1936.
“What really inspired me was that Charlie Chaplin, he directed it, he duced it, he was the main actor, he wrote the story, and he made the music,” Mohajer said to Fortune.
“And it’s just an example of something being so hands on—and they’re all amazing.
The music is amazing, the storyline is amazing, the acting is amazing.” Mohajer said he wanted to emulate Chaplin in his own company: understanding nology, , fundraising, recruitment, and more.
“When it’s for the first time I’m doing it, I know that I’m not experienced, and then I learn, and I become good at it, and I expand my horizon,” Mohajer said.
“And I just saw that in him, and he was just so fluent at it and that was an inspiration.” Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh.
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