Soju, Samgyeopsal, and Tech Titans: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Dishes on His Favorite Korean Billionaires

When you are the mastermind behind the world’s most valuable company, your dinner parties look a little different. For Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Korean BBQ isn’t just a casual meal—it’s a high-stakes, meat-grilling, Soju-pouring summit with the literal architects of modern technology.

Appearing on tvN’s hit talk show You Quiz on the Block, the rockstar tech icon opened up about his deep-rooted love for Korea, his surprisingly high alcohol tolerance, and what actually happens when the world’s most powerful tech CEOs gather around a smoking grill in Hongdae.

Grilling Meat with the Guardians of Tech

During a playful segment of “Balance Game,” host Yoo Jae-suk threw a curveball question that has long intrigued the tech world: “Out of Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Chairman Chung Euisun, and SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, who is your absolute favorite?”

Huang broke into a wide grin. For someone used to answering complex AI algorithms, this was the easiest question of the night.

“That’s too simple,” Huang laughed. “I am close with all of them! I want every single one of them to succeed. They are unbelievably incredible global leaders.”

The legendary Jensen Huang Korean BBQ meetings have become the stuff of internet folklore. Just last year, Huang, Lee, and Chung sent the internet into a frenzy when they showed up unannounced at a humble fried chicken joint in Gangnam, turning their casual booth into an instant tourist landmark.

When an LG Chairman Grills Your Pork Belly

This year’s itinerary raised the bar even higher. For his recent trip, Huang gathered a star-studded crew including SK’s Chey Tae-won, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver founder Lee Hae-jin for a late-night feast in Hongdae.

The highlight? An ultra-rare corporate hierarchy inversion.

“We all had our designated roles that night,” Huang chuckled. “KM (LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo) was strictly in charge of grilling and cutting the Samgyeopsal (pork belly). My role was simple: eating it.”

When asked how he managed to survive the dreaded Somaek (Soju-beer bomb) hangover, the Nvidia chief boasted about his seasoned iron liver. “My alcohol tolerance is actually quite high,” Huang boasted. “I visit Korea so often that I’m completely fine. Korean people really know how to drink, and I’ve been a part of this after-work culture for a long time.”

A Letter From the Past That Changed Everything

Huang’s affinity for Korea isn’t just about the crispy pork belly or the precise pronunciation of “Ramyeon.” It dates back over 30 years to a single handwritten letter that changed the trajectory of Nvidia forever.

In the 1990s, when Nvidia was just a scrappy startup, Huang received a personal letter from the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee. That letter prompted Huang to pack his bags, fly to Seoul, and personally pitch his graphics cards door-to-door in Yongsan Electronics Market.

Decades later, when Huang mentioned this historic letter during a conference, Samsung’s current chairman, Lee Jae-yong, proudly smiled from the audience and chimed in, “That was my father.”

Wrapping up his late-night television appearance, the Nvidia billionaire left viewers with a mouth-watering dilemma when forced to choose between fried chicken and pork belly.

“If I hadn’t dipped that hot Samgyeopsal into the sesame oil and salt mixture last night, it would have been an easy choice,” Huang confessed, still dreaming of the grill. “But that flavor is unforgettable. I can still taste it right now.”