Jensen Huang, the Nvidia chief executive officer who has become a symbol of the global artificial intelligence (AI) industry, took the mound at Jamsil Baseball Stadium this time wearing a pro baseball uniform instead of his trademark black leather jacket. After throwing the first pitch and watching the game with chicken and beer, he is scheduled to meet SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won in the evening to discuss semiconductor cooperation.
Huang served as the ceremonial first pitcher at the Doosan Bears–Kiwoom Heroes game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul that day. He wore a Doosan uniform with the number 93, signifying Nvidia's founding year, 1993. The black leather jacket he often wears at official events was nowhere to be seen.
Taking the mound, Huang grabbed the mic before the first pitch and said, "I thank Korea for welcoming me, my family, and Nvidia," adding, "Nvidia and Korea have grown together with the PC gaming and video industries." He then turned to the stands and shouted, "Go Korea."
He also made sure to talk about Korean food. He said, "I came to enjoy Korea's KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)," adding, "There's nothing better than chimaek." When he pronounced the word "chimaek" in Korean, the crowd erupted in cheers.
The first pitch was more dynamic than expected. The ball Huang threw missed the strike zone by a wide margin and sailed over the head of Park Jeong-won, the Doosan Group chairman who stood in as batter. Starting catcher Yang Eui-ji had to rise to catch it. After finishing the first pitch, Huang hugged Park and left the field. Park wore a uniform with the number 96, signifying Doosan's founding year, 1896.
He kept the fan service going. Moving to a table seat by first base, Huang raised his beer glass and made a toast gesture toward the stands. He also accommodated photo and autograph requests for a while. He was seen taking commemorative photos with young fans and clasping hands. In several sections of the stands, hand signs reading "We love Nvidia" appeared.
Huang arrived at Jamsil Stadium at about 4:10 p.m., roughly 50 minutes before first pitch, in a Hyundai Motor Genesis G90. Asked by reporters about cooperation plans with Doosan Group, he replied only, "I will focus on the first pitch today." When asked what pitch he would throw, he smiled and said, "I can do it."
Chicken was also part of the ballpark viewing. According to the dining industry, Nvidia on that day ordered 113 pieces of BBQ's "Crunch Boneless Cracker" for a group seating section. Having sought out BBQ chicken on the first day of his visit as well, Huang was also said to have watched the game with chicken that day. Because of the large order volume, even BBQ headquarters staff were reportedly sent to the site.
Huang watched the game with his family, including his wife, Lori Huang, and his eldest daughter, Madison Huang, Nvidia's senior director of Omniverse and Robotics product marketing.
After leaving the ballpark, he is heading to Gangnam in Seoul. In the evening, Huang is scheduled to meet SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to discuss AI Semiconductor cooperation, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM).