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What's it like to work at Nvidia, the $3 trillion AI chipmaker with a storied work culture that took over 30 years to build?
Longtime CEO Jensen Huang said in an interview this year that he rarely fires people, preferring instead to “torture employees into peak performance.” As it turns out, he may not have been kidding.
As the AI chip brain behind ChatGPT and other popular forms of AI, Nvidia – and its dedicated employees – have benefited financially from the AI boom. A survey of over 3,000 Nvidia employees (out of around 30,000) conducted in June found that 76% were millionaires and one in three had a net worth of more than $20 million due to the company's growth. Since October 2022, Nvidia stock has risen over 1,000%.
However, a Bloomberg report on Monday revealed that while Nvidia's boom has created millionaires, the work culture and expectations of those employees have remained the same: it is a “pressure cooker.”
Related: Nvidia and the Magnificent Seven are generating 'immense returns', but strategists say there are risks
Ten current and former Nvidia employees who spoke to Bloomberg described long hours, shouting and arguing in meetings, and vying for the attention of a boss who may have more than 100 other direct reports.
A former technical support employee at a company claimed that he worked until 1 or 2 a.m. every day, including weekends, and his fellow engineers worked longer. Other employees claimed they had at least seven meetings a day.
Employees who worked less than usual were called out at company-wide meetings. In December, Huang was confronted with complaints from staff about their “semi-retired” colleagues. He responded by asking every employee to become the CEO of their time.
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Despite reports of a stressful work environment, Nvidia has had no trouble retaining employees. The company's fiscal year 2024 sustainability report shows that overall turnover was 2.7%, compared to the industry average of 17.7%.
Nvidia's low turnover rate could be due to the way employees gain access to stock awards. The shares vest over four years, so an employee gradually gains ownership of the awards. So it's in the employee's best interest to stay loyal to the company to maximize the benefits.
Nvidia is also known for its “flat” organization with minimal hierarchy, which could make the company an attractive choice. Huang has 60 direct reports.
Related: Insiders say Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang turned down a merger offer in the company's early days. Here's why.
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