a timeline of President Trump and Jensen Huang’s close relationship

Trump and Huang met at the White House; it was the first time the Nvidia CEO had ever met the president, The Washington Post reported then. Unlike other tech leaders, who made a prominent show of support at the inauguration, Huang had not been present at Trump’s swearing-in. He told reporters that he would be traveling elsewhere due to the Lunar New Year.

Huang attended a White House event on investing in America with other business leaders, including Apple’s Tim Cook.

Nvidia had announced that it would attempt to have its Blackwell chips — then the cutting edge — manufactured in the United States at another company’s plant in Arizona. The White House later cited that agreement as evidence of its success in bringing manufacturing back to America.

Huang joined an all-star cast of tech leaders in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, for a summit about investment from the oil-rich kingdom. Nvidia announced it would sell hundreds of thousands of its Blackwell chips to a start-up launched by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

Over a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom, Trump and then-U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a technology and science deal meant to give American manufacturers access to the British aerospace industry. The American delegation included Huang. alongside Cook and OpenAI’s Sam Altman (The Post has a content partnership with OpenAI).

In another event focused on the Gulf state, this time in Washington, Trump said he would “welcome” foreign workers coming to the United States — a comment that bucked his base in the midst of his administration’s crackdown on immigration. Huang was among the tech leaders who had lobbied Trump to keep the H-1B visa program, meant to attract foreign workers with specialized skills.

Coming off a campaign event in North Carolina in the wee hours of the morning, photographers for the White House press pool spotted Trump exiting the motorcade holding his phone with Huang on the line.

Huang and his wife, Lori Huang, were among the guests at a White House state dinner for King Charles III. Other tech CEOs in attendance included Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos. (Bezos owns The Post.)

Huang was a last-minute addition to Trump’s trip to China after the president saw media reports that he wasn’t included. Before Huang was picked up at a refueling stop, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Trump of intelligence that Huang had an affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. On Monday, Trump said he was unaware of the allegations during the trip.

In unveiling sweeping changes to Dulles International Airport, Trump had an unusual guest in the Oval Office: Huang, hanging out in a corner of the room. In remarks, Trump repeatedly referenced Huang’s presence.

“If we can do with an airport like he does with chips, it will be the greatest airport anywhere in the world,” he said.

While onstage for the All-In Podcast, whose hosts include former Trump AI czar David Sacks, Huang’s phone suddenly rang.

“Oh no,” Huang said. “This is not planned, but we know who it is.”

He put Trump on speakerphone.

“Jensen can develop the most complex computer chip in the world and nobody can copy it for ten years, but he can’t figure out how to put me on speaker,” Trump said.

At a White House state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Huang and his wife, Lori Huang, were among the guests at Trump’s table. The table also included SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Apple’s Cook.

Amid a firestorm in Washington and on Wall Street where some called for the government to regulate the pace of AI development, Huang was among the attendees at a White House lunch where tech leaders signed a “morally binding” compact to regulate themselves.

In remarks afterward, Trump pointed to Huang alongside other tech leaders.

“An example, NVIDIA,” the president said. “He’s still a young guy, handsome guy. Look at him. He’s a very handsome guy.”