“Dishwasher, Waiter”: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s Work Experience Shocks Internet

Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, is the 12th richest man in the world, as per the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. In June, Nvidia became the world’s most valuable public company, riding on an artificial intelligence-driven surge. As a result, Mr Huang added over $4 billion to his net worth in a single day. Since the beginning of 2019, the company’s stock has increased by 3,776% as the business reaps profits from the sale of the primary chip required for artificial intelligence applications. Mr Huang has frequently shared his journey from humble beginnings to leading the world’s largest chip-making company. Amid this, the billionaire’s work experience on LinkedIn has caught the attention of several users.

Mr Huang has listed two jobs in the work experience section. The latest one mentions him as the Founder and CEO of Nvidia, from 1993 to the present. Before this, his old job profile included being a “dishwasher, busboy and waiter” at Denny’s. The 61-year-old worked at the diner-style restaurant chain for five years, from 1978 – 1983.

It was in a booth at the same Denny’s where he once cleared tables, washed dishes, and cleaned toilets that he and his co-founders conceived the idea for Nvidia. Mr Huang said earlier that his humble beginnings shaped the type of business leader he is today and feels that no task is beneath him.

In March this year, Mr Huang gave an interview at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, where he talked about his experience working at the breakfast chain Denny’s. ”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,” Mr Huang said. In the interview, Mr Huang also suggested that this work ethic has instilled in him a deep respect for all types of work and that he is ”not afraid to get his hands dirty.”

”If you send me something and you want my input on it and I can be of service to you – and, in my review of it, share with you how I reasoned through it – I’ve made a contribution to you,” Mr Huang added.