[Global Focus] Forget ‘First Buddy’ Musk... Trump’s New Closest Ally Is Jensen Huang

Gained Prominence During May Middle East Trip, Joined September UK Visit
Apple’s Cook and Tesla’s Musk Drift Away
Trump Uses AI as a Bargaining Chip

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, has been drawing attention under the second Trump administration in the United States. While Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, wielded political influence during Trump’s first term and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, was in the spotlight at the start of Trump’s second term, Huang’s recent activities have become particularly prominent. Analysts note that, in addition to Nvidia’s overwhelming dominance in the AI chip market, Huang’s expanding connections with President Trump are positioning him as a pivotal figure in the US government’s AI industry strategy.

In an interview released on December 3 (local time) with popular podcaster Joe Rogan, Huang stated that he regularly communicates with senior officials in the Trump administration. He highlighted his close relationships with Trump administration officials, saying, "Whenever I need something or want to share my thoughts, I call them." During a meeting with reporters at the US Congress on the same day, he also confirmed having met with President Trump and said they discussed the issue of export controls on AI semiconductors.

As of December 5 this year, Nvidia’s stock price had risen by approximately 31.9%.

Jensen Huang Skips Inauguration, Becomes Trump’s ‘Friend’-What Was the Secret?

Huang began to gain prominence starting with President Trump’s first overseas trip to the Middle East this past May. While Cook, who had maintained a close relationship with Trump during the first administration, was absent, Huang’s presence was notable. He also accompanied Trump on his trip to the United Kingdom in September.

Their relationship was not smooth from the start. Huang was one of the few big tech CEOs who did not attend President Trump’s inauguration in January. Instead, he chose to travel to China. According to the New York Times (NYT), citing three sources, when Huang met Trump for the first time in the Oval Office two weeks after the inauguration, they struggled to communicate effectively.

However, the atmosphere shifted when Huang announced at a White House press conference in late April that Nvidia would invest $500 billion in US manufacturing. Revitalizing American manufacturing is one of President Trump’s core policies. Huang also accompanied Trump on his Middle East trip, achieving a deal to sell over $200 billion worth of semiconductors to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. According to the NYT, it was at this point that Trump began referring to Huang as "my friend." President Trump also praised Huang during his speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Gyeongju this past October.

Another reason Huang earned Trump’s trust, some say, is his support for Trump’s interventionist corporate policies. In August, when Trump announced that the US government would collect a portion of the profits from semiconductor sales to China, Huang agreed with the policy.

On the 19th of last month, at the US-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum held in Washington DC, US President Donald Trump (right) and Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Getty Images, Yonhap News

Did He Benchmark Tim Cook in the First Term? Surpassing the Influence of Cook and Musk

US business media outlet CNBC analyzed in July that Huang had surpassed the influence of Cook during Trump’s first term and Musk in the early days of the second term. Huang’s recent actions appear to emulate Cook’s approach during Trump’s first administration. Cook favored direct communication with business leaders and valued political image, building a good relationship with Trump through phone calls, meetings, and dinners. Despite the US-China trade war peaking during Trump’s first term, Cook maintained close ties with Trump while also preserving good relations with China, resulting in the iPhone being exempted from tariffs and avoiding the fallout of the trade war.

However, the relationship between Cook and Trump appears to have soured since the beginning of this year. In May, Trump expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "There are some issues with Tim Cook," criticizing Apple for not expanding production in the US. The NYT also reported in May that Cook fell out of favor after refusing to accompany Trump on his Middle East trip.

There was once speculation that Elon Musk, who was considered one of Trump’s closest allies, would become the tech industry CEO closest to the president during Trump’s second term, much like Cook in the first. Musk even headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a key department in the Trump administration, but their relationship soured after Musk publicly criticized Trump’s large-scale tax cut bill. Since then, Musk has distanced himself from the administration and focused on his business.

In contrast, Nvidia has clearly benefited from aligning with Trump’s policies. According to Bloomberg on December 3, the "GAIN AI Act," which Nvidia had lobbied against, was excluded from the National Defense Authorization Act. The GAIN AI Act would have required semiconductor companies to meet domestic US demand before exporting high-performance AI chips to countries of concern such as China. Nvidia has strongly opposed this regulation, arguing that it would accelerate China’s AI self-reliance and weaken US leadership in the AI industry. To block the bill, Huang personally met with President Trump and key members of Congress. Previously, online media outlet Axios reported that the White House had pressured Congress to ensure the GAIN AI Act was left out of the defense bill.

On December 8, the Trump administration approved the export of Nvidia’s cutting-edge H200 AI semiconductor to China. On December 4, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress to block H200 exports to China, and Huang publicly opposed the bill. The H200, released in 2023, is the highest-performing chip based on the previous-generation Hopper architecture. While it does not match the latest Blackwell-based B200, it outperforms the lower-spec H20 chip, which is currently permitted for export to China.

President Trump announced on the social media platform Truth Social that he had informed Chinese President Xi Jinping that the US would allow Nvidia to ship the H200 to China and other countries, provided that America maintains strong national security.

Is Nvidia the Only Beneficiary? "Trump Uses AI Chips as a Bargaining Chip"

By maintaining close relationships with business leaders, President Trump is also reaping political benefits. Nvidia, in particular, has been at the forefront of fulfilling one of the Trump administration’s core pledges: bringing manufacturing back to America. As Nvidia’s semiconductors have become essential for AI development, the Trump administration has used them as a diplomatic and trade bargaining chip, according to the NYT. Just as the US provided nuclear technology to countries that pledged peaceful use in the 1950s, the Trump administration is now offering AI technology as an incentive to countries that resolve conflicts.

For example, a $2 billion deal was announced to build an AI data center using Nvidia semiconductors in Kazakhstan, which recently joined the Abraham Accords. Nvidia chips have also served as a powerful bargaining lever in negotiations with Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, China, and others.

Although US government officials claim Nvidia’s role in Kazakhstan’s participation in the accords was minor, the NYT notes that the very inclusion of Nvidia in such discussions demonstrates how President Trump is leveraging AI and Nvidia.