TSMC founder Morris Chang supplied prime job to Jensen Huang, memoir reveals

By Wen-Yee Lee

TAIPEI (Reuters) – TSMC’s founder Morris Chang requested Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)’s Jensen Huang to contemplate changing into the chief government of the Taiwanese chip large greater than a decade in the past, however was turned down in simply 10 minutes, Chang says in a brand new quantity of autobiography.

Huang, who has served as chief government of the AI chipmaker since founding the corporate, advised Chang, “I have already got a job,” the 93-year-old recounted within the memoir, printed on Friday, that recounts his life from 1964 to 2018. 

The second quantity of Chang’s autobiography covers his 25 years at Texas Devices (NASDAQ:TXN) and the founding of TSMC in 1987, after the primary, about his youth, was printed in 1998.

The brand new quantity recounts a few of TSMC’s dealings with main prospects corresponding to Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), in addition to how Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) turned down an invite to spend money on TSMC within the Eighties earlier than changing into a key buyer.

Chang additionally describes his friendship of greater than 20 years with Huang, who has turned California-based Nvidia into one of many world’s most respected corporations amid a surge of curiosity in synthetic intelligence. 

The 2 males have usually praised one another in public over time, with Huang crediting Chang for Nvidia’s success.

Within the e book, Chang mentioned that whereas trying to find a successor in 2013, he considered Huang as a really perfect candidate due to his character, skilled expertise, and semiconductor experience.     

“I spent about 10 minutes concisely explaining my deep expectations for TSMC,” Chang recalled. He mentioned Huang listened patiently however responded, “I have already got a job.”

A couple of weeks later, Chang tried once more, however Huang was firm.

“Jensen’s response to me was sincere: He ‘already had a job!’ That job was to raise Nvidia to what it’s right this moment, 11 years later,” wrote Chang.

Nvidia didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Chang’s e book. 

Chang added that when Huang was deciding on a producing associate for Nvidia, he was keen to guess every little thing on TSMC.

For its half, TSMC despatched two manufacturing workers to assist Nvidia in 1998 when the up-and-coming agency was short-staffed.

Chang additionally wrote that he approached Gordon Moore, then CEO of Intel, when he was elevating funds for TSMC within the Eighties.

The U.S. chipmaker didn’t make investments, however later turned one in every of TSMC’s prospects, contracting to make its newest laptop computer chips.

Chang mentioned Intel CEO Pat Gelsigner had since 2021 set his sights on turning the corporate right into a foundry participant.

Whereas he wished the hassle luck, Chang mentioned Intel’s long-standing enterprise mannequin, specializing in the in-house manufacturing of its personal chip merchandise, might make such a transfer exhausting, given foundries makes chips designed by different corporations.

Intel didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

(This story has been refiled to vary ‘upcoming’ to ‘up-and-coming’ in paragraph 13)