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Nvidia CEO praises TSMC as demand for Blackwell chips surges
Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, made an emotional return to Taiwan over the weekend, marking his fourth visit this year. Speaking at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) annual sports day in Hsinchu, Huang delivered a heartfelt speech in Mandarin, acknowledging the critical role TSMC has played in Nvidia's success. “Without TSMC, there would be no Nvidia today,” Huang declared, as he confirmed the soaring demand for the company’s next-generation Blackwell AI processors.
TSMC’s chairman, C.C. Wei, introduced Huang as “the 5-trillion-dollar man,” reflecting Nvidia’s remarkable achievement of surpassing a $5 trillion market valuation in October. This title is an upgrade from last year’s designation, “the 3-trillion-dollar man,” highlighting the company’s meteoric rise.
Blackwell chips spark capacity challenges
Huang confirmed that Nvidia is experiencing “very strong demand” for its Blackwell processors and has requested additional wafer supplies from TSMC. Although specific quantities remain confidential, Huang emphasized that Nvidia’s portfolio extends beyond GPUs, encompassing CPUs, networking solutions, and switches, all of which contribute to Blackwell’s ecosystem.
Huang described Nvidia’s growth as “extremely strong” and noted that it continues to accelerate month by month. He also highlighted the expanded capacity commitments from the company’s three memory chip suppliers, SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, and Micron Technology. SK Hynix recently announced that it has already sold its entire production capacity for next year and plans to ramp up investments to capitalize on what it predicts will be a prolonged “super cycle” in AI-driven chip demand.
Chinese market remains restricted
Despite Nvidia’s global success, Huang confirmed on Friday that there are no active discussions about selling Blackwell chips to China. U.S. restrictions, introduced during the Trump administration, have prohibited such sales due to concerns over aiding China’s military capabilities. “Currently, we do not plan to ship anything to China,” Huang stated upon arriving in Tainan. However, he expressed hope for future opportunities to re-enter the Chinese market.
A long-standing partnership
Huang’s visit included a tour of TSMC’s advanced 3-nanometer chip production facility in Tainan before attending the sports day event. Though TSMC’s founder, Morris Chang, was absent due to illness, Huang reflected on the 30-year partnership between Nvidia and TSMC. He noted how both companies began as small players and have since grown into industry leaders.
This collaboration, Huang suggested, not only exemplifies a shared vision but also underscores the pivotal role Taiwan plays in the global semiconductor industry.