Jensen Huang is getting more social. Since joining X last month, the Nvidia CEO has posted about everything from aging chips to financing the AI buildout. But compared to some of his more outspoken peers, Huang likes to explain things.
Other tech CEOs have made social media an extension of their public personas: Elon Musk broadcasts everything from product news to politics, while OpenAI's Sam Altman and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg have shared sweeping visions for the future of AI. Huang talks more like a teacher.
His first post demonstrated exactly that. Huang overcame his "shyness" in joining X because his July 24 post** **— a letter advocating for open AI models — was "too important to the industry and too important to the world," he said.
Open models, which make their underlying technology widely available, also have serious business ramifications for Nvidia. They mean more companies building AI — and more customers for its chips.
This dynamic runs through Huang's early feed: he's explaining AI while making the case for ideas that benefit Nvidia.
Huang, whose leather jackets and rockstar keynotes have inspired a cult following, made a personal decision to join X, an Nvidia representative previously told Axios — though it comes as the chip giant looks to bolster internal operations.
The company is hiring a senior manager of social media — with a base salary of up to $299,000 — to lead its social team and "turn complex technology and business priorities into stories people want to watch."
Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The savvy behind Jensen Huang's teacher persona
Huang is the de facto "pump man for the AI trade," said Luke Lango, chief technology analyst at InvestorPlace, with Nvidia being at the center of countless deals and arguably its biggest beneficiary.
"He does so in a self-deprecating, very kind of shy-man way," Lango said. "But underneath, it's a multibillionaire CEO of the world's largest company making sure his empire stays well-supported."
If that communication style is less bombastic, it's just as savvy, Lango said. And though he heads the most valuable company in the world, his work culture posts — like thanking interns — reinforce his relatability, said Karen North, a clinical professor of communication at USC Annenberg.
Unlike consumer technology that people interact with in a "tangible way," Nvidia operates in a world many people don't understand, said North.
Therefore, Huang's presence on X serves as a "social media cheat sheet," imparting information that followers can use at the dinner table. His thought leadership also builds trust with investors who congregate on the site, including when the company hits bumps in the road.
"Whatever knowledge you take away, you also take away trust in him and trust in his brand," North said.