Washington buzz crowns Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, 62, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tech favorite, eclipsing Elon Musk and Tim Cook, thanks to Nvidia’s leadership in AI chip development. The Economist last week dubbed Huang “America Inc’s new China envoy” for his growing influence.
During Trump’s first term, Apple’s Tim Cook maintained close ties with the president, enabling Apple to produce and sell in China without special tariffs during the U.S.-China trade war. This strategy tripled Apple’s profits in China, cementing Cook’s reputation as a key business envoy.
While Cook attended Trump’s inauguration, Huang was touring Nvidia’s Asia offices. However, with Nvidia’s valuation surpassing $4 trillion, overtaking Apple as America’s most valuable company, Trump has taken notice of Huang’s charismatic political sway, even in China.
Huang’s influence shone last week in Beijing when he announced Nvidia would resume sales of its H20 AI chips to China, with U.S. approval. Though older-generation chips, they support China’s AI development, raising concerns in Washington about potential military uses.
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The move benefits Nvidia, which wrote off $4.5 billion in unsold H20 inventory last May due to U.S. export bans. Huang has openly criticized these restrictions, arguing they spur Chinese firms like Huawei to develop alternatives, undermining U.S. tech dominance. “Every civil model should run best on the U.S. technology stack, encouraging nations worldwide to choose America,” he said last week.
Despite shunning politics for years, Huang, whose company controls over 90% of the advanced AI chip market, recognizes Nvidia’s critical role in global tech and national security. He has testified before Congress, lobbied White House officials and met repeatedly with Trump.
The New York Times reported Huang warned that chip export bans weaken U.S. AI leadership. His arguments swayed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who said the administration wants Chinese developers “addicted to American technology,” even older chips.
Huang’s alignment with White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks has further elevated his influence. “I don’t think I changed Trump’s mind,” Huang said. “My role is to inform him about technology, AI and global developments.”
Huang’s rise contrasts with Trump’s recent tensions with Musk and frustration with Cook, who shifted iPhone production to India despite pledging $500 billion in U.S. investments.
“I had a little problem with Tim Cook,” Trump remarked, noting Apple’s reliance on four Chinese suppliers among its top 20, while Nvidia has none. Huang joined Trump in the Middle East in May, securing a deal to sell hundreds of thousands of AI chips to the UAE for server farms.
However, analysts caution that Trump’s favor can be fleeting and an ongoing semiconductor industry probe could impose tariffs, impacting Nvidia, which still manufactures primarily in Taiwan despite some U.S. production.