Nvidia: A complete guide to the $4 trillion hardware company behind the AI boom

Company Overview - Nvidia has evolved from its founding in 1993 to become a leading AI chipmaker, achieving a market cap of $4 trillion in 2025, making it one of the most valuable companies globally [1][24] - The company was established with a vision to enhance 3D graphics for gaming and multimedia, and it has successfully capitalized on the AI technology boom [1][2] Historical Milestones - Nvidia went public in 1999 and introduced the graphics processing unit (GPU), which allowed for simultaneous task handling, despite facing early challenges including failed chip launches and near bankruptcy [3] - The release of CUDA in 2006 enabled the use of GPUs for general-purpose computing, significantly enhancing the performance of neural network training [4] Product Development - Nvidia's GPUs have been pivotal in the AI revolution, providing the necessary computing power for large language models like OpenAI's GPT-4 [19] - The H100 chip, launched in March 2022, has been crucial for AI applications, contributing to an over 800% increase in Nvidia's stock price from early 2023 to early 2025 [10] - The introduction of Blackwell chips, which are reported to be twice as fast as the previous Hopper chips, has attracted major clients including SoftBank, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft [21] Financial Performance - Nvidia reported a revenue of $44.1 billion for the fiscal quarter ending April 27, 2025, marking a 12% increase from the previous quarter and a 69% increase year-over-year [25] Leadership and Culture - Jensen Huang, the CEO, is a significant figure in Nvidia's success, with a net worth of approximately $137 billion and a unique leadership style that emphasizes direct communication and a flat organizational structure [12][27] - The company culture is characterized by a demanding work environment, with high expectations from employees, often referred to as "Jensen grilling" during meetings [28]