Nvidia CEO Huang bets on Chinese New Year instead of Trump Inauguration

Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, announced that he will not attend the inauguration of the future US President Donald Trump. Instead, he will celebrate the Chinese New Year with his employees and their families. He made this decision public at a New Year's reception for Nvidia in Taipei. During the reception, Huang also commented on the newly introduced export controls for artificial intelligence announced by the previous Biden administration last week. No discussions with the future Trump administration have taken place on this matter yet. However, Huang looks forward to the opportunity to congratulate the new president once he has taken office. Meanwhile, Huang reported on a meeting with C.C. Wei, the chairman of Nvidia's main supplier, TSMC. During a joint lunch, they discussed how to expand the production of Nvidia's most advanced AI chips, the Blackwell series. Nvidia is among the most valuable companies worldwide, but new US export restrictions for AI chips could complicate their targeted revenue growth. These regulations, published under President Joe Biden on January 13, restrict exports to numerous countries and only allow exceptions for close US allies, including Taiwan. At the same time, US-China relations are in focus, as the regulations aim to block China's access to advanced chips. Nvidia expressed concerns that these measures could threaten the US's leading position in artificial intelligence. However, it remains to be seen how the Trump administration will implement these guidelines, as despite the upcoming power transition, a similar course regarding threats from China is pursued. The new regulations will come into effect 120 days after their publication, giving the new administration time to determine its position. Huang also took part in a celebration for Nvidia in Shenzhen and, according to sources, plans to travel to Beijing on Monday to attend the celebration there as well. Nvidia has yet to comment on these developments.