[News] TSMC Founder Morris Chang Once Considered Jensen Huang for CEO Role

---

---

TSMC founder Morris Chang is about to release the second volume of his autobiography. According to Economic Daily News, in this second volume of his autobiography, Chang reveals that he once considered inviting NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang to take on the role of TSMC’s CEO in 2013.

This decision detail has immediately sparked widespread discussion in the industry. According to the report from Economic Daily News, the book’s chapter list shows that after appointing C.C. Wei, Mark Liu, and Shang-Yi Chiang as COOs in 2012, Chang approached Huang the following year to gauge his interest in leading TSMC.

Although Huang ultimately chose to continue leading NVIDIA, this historical moment highlights Chang’s high regard for his leadership abilities.

The report from Economic Daily News indicated that TSMC and NVIDIA have collaborated closely in the AI and high-performance computing fields, achieving significant commercial success and establishing themselves as key partners in the tech supply chain.

According to a report in Commercial Times, the partnership between NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang and TSMC’s Morris Chang began after a phone call, when the 32-year-old Huang reached out to Chang. NVIDIA was a young startup, and Huang was unsure if TSMC would collaborate with them. To his surprise, Chang personally called NVIDIA, and that call, answered by Huang, initiated a partnership that has endured for over 20 years.

Chang and Huang are often celebrated as intergenerational friends, admired for their insights into the technology industry and mutual respect for each other’s corporate cultures.

Huang has consistently emphasized the profound influence of Chang’s insights on his own approach to the industry, recognizing Chang as the godfather of Taiwan’s technology industry. According to a CNA report, when Morris Chang received the K.T. Li Award, Jensen Huang traveled from the U.S. to Taiwan specifically to attend the ceremony and personally congratulate him. Huang remarked that NVIDIA was built on the foundation laid by TSMC, stating that without TSMC, NVIDIA would not exist.

Chang has also expressed mutual respect for Huang. According to the report from Economic Daily News, in recent public appearances, he has frequently referenced Huang’s viewpoints and even endorsed his remarks on Intel’s entry into semiconductor foundry services, highlighting their shared perspectives on industry trends and the deep friendship that underpins their collaboration.

Read more

• [News] TSMC Founder Morris Chang to Release Autobiography in November, Highlighting His Life at TI and TSMC
• [News] Jensen Huang Clarifies No Tension with TSMC After Blackwell AI Chip Design Flaw

(Photo credit: TechNews)