The CEO of the world's largest company by market capitalization had an immersive experience at a Shanghai wet market, leaving some netizens exclaiming, "Wow, this is incredible!" while others expressed delighted surprise, stating, "Just going grocery shopping in Shanghai and you can bump into the world's graphics card billionaire."
Instead of traveling to the frigid Swiss town of Davos, one could simply go grocery shopping in Shanghai for a chance encounter with Jensen Huang, the "father of graphics cards" from NVIDIA and one of the world's top ten billionaires.
On January 24th, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang made a surprise visit to Shanghai. That day, he appeared at the Jude Market on Rushan Road near Lujiazui in Pudong, where he sampled and purchased fruits and snacks, attracting a crowd of onlookers who took photos with him. Notably, he was not wearing his signature leather jacket on this occasion.
As of the market close last Friday, NVIDIA's market capitalization approached $4.6 trillion, firmly securing its position as the world's most valuable company. According to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranking, the 62-year-old Huang, with a net worth of $155 billion, holds the ninth spot among the world's richest individuals. NVIDIA reported revenue of $130.5 billion in its last fiscal year.
The boss of the world's largest company by market cap experiencing a Shanghai market firsthand prompted netizens to react with astonishment, with some sharing surprised selfies with Huang and commenting, "Just going grocery shopping in Shanghai and you can bump into the world's graphics card king."
Online videos showed Huang tasting samples while chatting and laughing with a female fruit stall vendor, and he also signed his name on a red envelope. The footage further revealed that Huang shopped generously, purchasing entire boxes of various fruits, including selenium-rich strawberries known as "White Lovers" and kumquats, likely in preparation for a company annual meeting.
In an era where online shopping is increasingly dominant in major Chinese cities, Huang's team evidently put some effort into finding a suitable traditional market for his visit.
It was learned that the Jude Market visited by Huang had recently undergone renovations, leading to significant improvements in the shopping environment, and it serves as the primary wet market in the Pudong Lujiazui area.
Huang's fondness for visiting markets is hardly a secret anymore. This self-proclaimed "street food enthusiast" has explored markets in multiple cities during his visits to China over the past year. Beyond the Taipei night market, during the China International Supply Chain Expo last July, Huang was spotted in Beijing's Nanluoguxiang alley. Braving the sweltering summer heat of over 30 degrees Celsius, he was seen wearing his leather jacket and sipping a drink.
In November 2024, Huang appeared at a dai pai dong in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po district, sharing beers with a group of about a dozen people. Among those at the table, besides Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan, were Hong Kong University of Science and Technology President Nancy Ip, University Council Chairman Harry Shum, and Sequoia Capital China's Neil Shen.
It has been observed that in recent years, visiting U.S. tech giant executives often have "characteristic itineraries" arranged during their trips to China. For instance, Huang's market tours during his visits come across as very "down-to-earth," while Apple CEO Tim Cook frequently appears in parks and art venues during his trips, which aligns well with Apple's brand identity.
Huang's current visit to China is for the routine participation in annual meetings at NVIDIA's various offices across the country. After attending the Shanghai annual meeting on Saturday, he is scheduled to travel to Beijing, Shenzhen, and Taiwan, China. Over the past year, Huang has visited China at least three times.
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