Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised — and gently urged — the company’s key Taiwanese suppliers to ramp up production to meet surging demand for artificial intelligence, capping a high-profile visit to his birthplace, where he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds at nearly every stop.
Speaking late Saturday at an impromptu press conference outside a Taipei restaurant, Huang said the year ahead looked strong for business. The gathering followed what he jokingly called a “trillion-dollar dinner,” a reference to the combined market capitalisation of the suppliers in attendance.
“TSMC needs to work very hard this year because I need a lot of wafers,” Huang said with a laugh, referring to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s leading producer of advanced chips used in AI applications. He praised the company’s efforts, noting that demand for Nvidia’s products remains exceptionally strong.
“TSMC is doing an incredible job and they’re working very, very hard. We have a lot of demand this year,” Huang said after posing for photos with TSMC CEO C.C. Wei. He added that over the next decade, TSMC is likely to expand its capacity by well over 100%, marking a major scale-up driven by AI demand.
Wei declined to answer questions from reporters. Last month, TSMC said its capital spending could rise by as much as 37% this year to $56 billion and would increase significantly again in 2028 and 2029 due to continued AI-related demand.
Huang, who moved to the United States as a child, is treated as a celebrity whenever he returns to Taiwan. Local media affectionately refer to him as “the people’s dad” and closely track his movements.
Huang co-founded California-based Nvidia in 1993. Last year, the company became the first to surpass a $5 trillion market valuation, cementing its central role in the global AI boom.
During his Taipei visit, Huang also voiced concern over tight supplies of memory chips, which are critical for AI workloads. “We need a lot of memory this year,” he said. “The entire supply chain is under pressure because demand is so strong.”
The dinner was attended by around two dozen executives, including Foxconn Chairman Young Liu. Foxconn is Nvidia’s largest server manufacturing partner. Huang frequently stepped outside to greet fans and sign autographs.
“Nvidia wouldn’t be possible without Taiwan,” Huang said. “There’s something magical about this island — the technology, the culture, the people. I’m really proud of Taiwan.”
Huang arrived in Taiwan from China on Thursday and is expected to depart on Monday.