Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang tries buying street food, ends up offering to pay everyone's bill

A casual food stop by Jensen Huang has unexpectedly turned into one of the internet's most talked-about viral moments this week. A video showing the Nvidia boss trying to grab street food at a crowded market stall is now circulating widely on X, pulling in nearly 2.6 million views and sparking a heated debate online over privilege, success, and celebrity treatment. The clip shows Huang arriving at a packed street food stall where a long queue had already formed. As people recognised him, the billionaire executive was heard saying, "Let me go first and I will buy everyone's food." The crowd reportedly agreed, allowing him to skip ahead while others around him laughed and cheered. Huang was later seen happily eating among the crowd, appearing relaxed and enjoying the atmosphere.

While many viewers found the interaction funny and harmless, others were less impressed. Several users criticised Huang for allegedly avoiding the queue simply because he could afford to pay for everyone’s meal. One user mocked the situation by writing, "Too lazy." Another sarcastically added, "I’ve heard a rumour that you’re too lazy to churn your own butter."

But the criticism quickly turned into a larger online debate, with many users defending Huang's actions. One person wrote, "Successful people don’t have the time to wait.” Another user argued that the move benefited everyone present, saying, "Helping yourself by helping everyone else is a win-win in any book."

Some users also downplayed the financial aspect of the gesture. One comment pointed out that the total bill was reportedly only around 1,000 New Taiwan dollars, or roughly $30, arguing that it was hardly a major display of wealth for a billionaire running one of the world’s most valuable companies. Although, from the video, it was not clear how much he might have paid for the food.

Jensen Huang once earned living by working at a restaurant as waiter

The viral moment comes at a time when Huang has almost become something of a global street-food celebrity. Over the years, the Nvidia chief has frequently been spotted eating at roadside stalls and night markets across Asia, including in Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Earlier this month, he was seen eating noodles at a roadside shop in Beijing during a China visit alongside business leaders accompanying US President Donald Trump.

Nvidia itself also shared videos of Huang recently visiting Taipei’s famous Raohe Street Night Market, where crowds gathered around him as he ordered food from local vendors. His love for food is well known in Silicon Valley as well. Mark Zuckerberg once revealed during a podcast that Huang personally cooked cheesesteaks for him at home. Larry Ellison has also shared stories of having dinner with Huang while discussing Nvidia’s GPUs.

At just 15 years old, Huang was working shifts at a Denny’s restaurant in Portland, where he handled multiple roles, including cleaning tables and serving customers as a waiter. Years later, another Denny’s restaurant — this time in San Jose — became the place where Huang and Nvidia cofounders Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem reportedly had the early conversations that led to the creation of Nvidia.

Meanwhile, Nvidia continues to ride the AI wave financially as well. The company recently reported quarterly revenue of $81.6 billion, beating estimates and helping push its stock further upward this year.