Part 1: The Titans of IT Dominating the World - NVIDIA and Jensen Huang's Leadership

Professor Cho Sung Kap's "High-Tech Corporate Management Theory" explores the innovation and challenges of global IT leaders.

At the beginning of 2025, it is natural to be curious about the top ten companies in the world. In search of information, we came across Professor Cho Sung Kap's 'High-Tech Corporate Management Theory,' published in December 2024. What are the secrets of success of the world's top 10 companies that are struggling in campus labs and Silicon Valley? Professor Cho's new book, High-Tech Corporate Management Theory, offers a way to find the answer.

According to the "High-Tech Corporate Management Theory", after the heyday of traditional old masters such as IBM and HP in the 1980s, the world's top 10 IT companies currently leading the IT industry are NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, TSMC, Broadcom, Tesla and Tencent. These companies are leading the IT industry in the age of AI.

This book is not merely a collection of success stories; it deeply analyzes the lives and management philosophies of founders from different nationalities and backgrounds, ranging from Bill Gates to Elon Musk. The successes of immigrant CEOs like Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (Google), Jensen Huang (Nvidia), and Elon Musk (Tesla/SpaceX) illustrate a narrative of "challenge and response." It dissects their success know-how, emphasizing the importance of the American education system and the "3S spirit (Servant, Share, Service)," showcasing why eight out of the ten leading companies are from the U.S.

A noteworthy point in the book is the commonality among successful founders: high-risk tolerance, creative problem-solving abilities, and exceptional networking skills. This highlights the importance of strategic thinking as crucial for sustainable growth beyond merely starting a business.

Korea IT Times has restructured Professor Cho's new book and is publishing it as a summarized series and success factors of the top ten IT companies. The author, with an outstanding career that includes experiences at IBM, the Watson Research Center, and Harvard Business School, is currently a chair professor at Anyang University, as well as the head of the Public Policy Evaluation Association and a research fellow of the National Council of Elders. His exploration of the success stories of the top ten IT companies aims to awaken readers to the importance of entrepreneurship, help them overcome fears associated with starting a business, and encourage continued challenges towards their dreams.--Ed.

Cho Sung Kap, Chair Professor at Anyang University, author of 'High-Tech Corporate Management Theory' - an analysis of the world's top 10 IT company founders and success stories.

Global IT's changing landscape in the AI age

The ranking of the top ten global companies is undergoing a rapid transformation. With technological innovation and the AI boom becoming new benchmarks for global corporate valuation, significant changes have occurred in market capitalization rankings. American firms dominate the upper ranks, demonstrating the enduring strength of U.S. technological hegemony.

Currently, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple fiercely compete for the top market capitalization position. All three companies have market caps in the range of $3.3 trillion, with Nvidia showing remarkable growth, as its market capitalization skyrocketed more than eightfold compared to early 2023, fueled by surging demand for AI semiconductors.

Apple recently unveiled its generative AI "Apple Intelligence," setting the stage for a resurgence. Microsoft has also garnered high praise for generating revenue through AI software.

Remarkably, AI has emerged as a core component in corporate valuation. Among the companies listed in the S&P 500, 199 mentioned AI in their first-quarter earnings reports, marking the largest number ever. Notably, Meta, Nvidia, and Microsoft were the most vocal about AI.

However, South Korean companies are finding their position narrowing. Samsung Electronics stands alone at 13th place among the top 20, with a valuation of $345 billion, while the gap with Tencent, which has secured 10th place with $453 billion, is widening. Strengthening AI competitiveness and discovering new growth engines have become urgent tasks for domestic companies.

The "tech hegemony war" led by AI is just beginning. The competition for technology development and market dominance among leading companies is expected to intensify. Attention is directed toward how the global IT industry's landscape will be reshaped.

Nvidia: Jensen Huang’s Leadership in Semiconductors

In 1993, Jensen Huang, Curtis Priem, and Chris Malachowsky founded Nvidia in Santa Clara, California. The company has led innovations in computer graphics and AI through its GPU technology. With revenues of $60.92 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, Nvidia has established itself as a leader in AI and data center solutions.

Under Jensen Huang's leadership, which is characterized by forward-thinking insights and "market first, development later," as well as continuous technological innovation and market expansion, Nvidia has grown into one of the world's top semiconductor companies. Its GeForce series of GPU products has significantly enhanced graphic performance, leading Nvidia to dominate 80.2% of the GPU market and positioning it as a key provider of edge-to-cloud computing.

Video games have acted as NVIDIA's "killer app." Initially, the company focused on the development of its graphics accelerator, the NV1, and subsequently launched successful products like the RIVA 128 and TNT. This series of achievements helped NVIDIA overcome its early challenges and laid the foundation for its growth into a strong technology enterprise. NVIDIA invested heavily in research and development, concentrating on the creation of new technologies. The outcomes, such as the CUDA platform and the RTX series, have accelerated scientific research and AI training through parallel computing, while real-time ray tracing technology has revolutionized the quality of gaming.

Jensen Huang has led the company’s growth and technological innovation with visionary leadership. He fostered a corporate culture based on a strong belief in the potential of technology, creating an open and collaborative environment. These efforts transformed NVIDIA from a mere graphics card manufacturer into a platform company offering a diverse range of technological solutions.

As of 2024, NVIDIA is seeking new opportunities through the growth of the AI market and advancements in autonomous vehicle technology. GPUs for AI and data centers have become essential technologies among global IT companies. Additionally, by developing the DRIVE platform as a key component of autonomous driving technology, NVIDIA is supporting innovation in this space.

However, NVIDIA still faces several challenges. The rapid pace of technological change demands ongoing innovation while increasing policy uncertainties arise from trade conflicts and intensified regulations. New threat factors, such as enhanced environmental regulations and heightened competition for talent, are also emerging. High research and development costs can become a financial burden, and reliance on external foundries for production exposes the company to supply chain uncertainties. Moreover, competitors like AMD and Intel are working to expand their market shares through technological innovation.

To overcome these challenges, NVIDIA needs to focus on continuous technological innovation and strategic investments. To maintain long-term competitiveness, the company should concentrate on developing AI and machine learning technologies and strengthen partnerships across various fields, including autonomous driving and data centers. NVIDIA's 30-year history has been one of continuous innovation and challenge, and it will continue to manage threats from technological and regulatory changes with flexible strategies to maintain its competitiveness in the GPU market.

The next topic will continue with 'TSMC.'

Korea IT Times/Editorial Team 다른기사 보기