Five years ago, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had an estimated net worth of $4 billion. As of June 14, his net worth has grown significantly to $115 billion, primarily due to his nearly 4% stake in the company. This increase has propelled him to become the 12th richest person on Earth.
Sequoia Capital and its partner Mark Stevens played a crucial role in the early funding and development of Nvidia. In 1993, when Nvidia was founded, Sequoia Capital invested $1 million in the company, valuing it at just $7 million at the time. Mark Stevens, a partner at Sequoia Capital, joined Nvidia's board and served from 1993 to 2006. He later rejoined the board in 2008. Stevens' early involvement and investment in Nvidia through Sequoia Capital significantly contributed to the company's growth and success.
The article mentions several key Nvidia board members and executives who have contributed to the company's success and have personally benefited from its growth1. Here are some of their backgrounds and contributions:
Mark Stevens: A billionaire and longtime venture capitalist, Stevens was a partner at Sequoia Capital when the firm invested in Nvidia back in 1993. He served on Nvidia's board from 1993 to 2006 and then rejoined again two years later. Stevens also owns a minority stake in the Golden State Warriors and primarily invests through his own firm, S-Cubed Capital.
Tench Coxe: Coxe was a VC representing early investor Sutter Hill Ventures and joined Nvidia's board the year the company was founded. He is now entering his fourth decade as a director at Nvidia and is the third-largest insider shareholder at the firm.
Harvey Jones: Jones joined Nvidia's board with Stevens and Coxe in 1993 and has been an entrepreneur, high tech executive, and venture investor for more than three decades. He co-founded tech companies Daisy Systems in 1981 and Tensilica in 1997 and served as CEO of electronic design automation company Synopsys. These days, he is primarily an investor through his firm, Square Wave Ventures.
Colette Kress: Nvidia's Chief Financial Officer, Kress joined the company in 2013 and has helped oversee a significant revenue ramp-up. Prior to Nvidia, Kress spent three years as CFO of a Cisco division and 13 years at Microsoft.
Brooke Seawell: Seawell joined Nvidia's board in 1997 when he was executive vice president at NetDynamics2. He has been involved in 12 public offerings, including Nvidia, and 13 acquisitions throughout his career.
Jay Puri: A longtime Nvidia employee, Puri is now an executive vice president responsible for the company's worldwide field operations, including its go-to-market strategy. He spent 22 years at Sun Microsystems before joining Nvidia in 2005.
Tim Teter: Nvidia's General Counsel, Teter joined the company in 2017 and has already amassed Nvidia shares worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars. Previously, he was a partner at law firm Cooley and worked as an engineer at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company.
Debora Shoquist: Nvidia Executive Vice President, Shoquist joined the company in 2007 and is responsible for operations, which includes overseeing Nvidia's 1.25-million-square-foot headquarters in Santa Clara. She previously worked at JDS Uniphase, Coherent, and Quantum.
Mark Perry: An independent Nvidia board member since 2005, Perry has held various titles in different industries, including general counsel, chief financial officer, and executive vice president of operations at public biotech giant Gilead Sciences2. He also had a stint at law firm Cooley and was briefly an entrepreneur-in-residence at Third Rock Ventures and CEO of biopharma firm Aerovance. He currently consults for various companies and nonprofit organizations.