NVIDIA's market value has soared to an impressive $3.4 trillion, largely thanks to the work of its chip engineers. Among them, one key figure stands out in ensuring NVIDIA's continued AI revenue in China: Jonah Alben, Senior Vice President of GPU Engineering. Alben has played a crucial role in helping the company navigate challenges posed by U.S. government restrictions on chip sales to China, which began in 2022.

At that time, China accounted for a significant portion of NVIDIA's revenue, making up about 20% of its total sales. To sustain NVIDIA's operations in China, founder and CEO Jensen Huang turned to his trusted deputy, Jonah Alben. Alben recommended that NVIDIA modify its top-tier products to meet compliance requirements. This included physically disabling certain components of the chips. Following Alben's advice, NVIDIA began offering modified versions of their products to Chinese customers within just two months.

Alben, at 51, is responsible for engineering design of NVIDIA's AI computing chips — the company's most sought-after products. His role involves ensuring that NVIDIA maintains its overwhelming lead in AI chip technology. According to Leo Tam, a former senior research scientist at NVIDIA, “Without Jonah, NVIDIA wouldn't be NVIDIA.” He continued, “His importance to the company is as great as Huang's.”

Known for his deep understanding of technical details and his competitive spirit, Alben is recognized for pushing boundaries. His ability to manage and inspire a large engineering team — including over 1,000 engineers in the graphics processing department — has earned him respect from his colleagues. This determination can be traced back to his days as a rower at Stanford University in the 1990s. As the coxswain of the team, Alben had to lead eight rowers, who were much larger than him, through intense races. One of his teammates, Martin Schwartz, recalled, “Jonah was famous for giving the final 200-meter command when we were still 350 meters away from the finish line.” These early experiences helped Alben develop quick decision-making skills, which have since proven invaluable in his professional career.

Alben joined NVIDIA in 1997 and quickly made an impression, earning the attention of Huang. In The NVIDIA Way, a book by tech journalist Tae Kim, Huang joked at an early employee meeting, saying, “I expect to work for Jonah in 20 years.” This foresight was not without merit, as Alben demonstrated time and again his ability to solve critical technical challenges. Sasha Ostojic, who once led the hardware design software team under Alben's direction, recalls a situation where a graphics chip failed to display images correctly. Alben took charge, solving the problem in time to prevent a significant delay: “If he had taken the wrong approach, NVIDIA could have lost 6 to 12 months,” Ostojic said.

Huang, known for his attention to technical details, believes that top executives must immerse themselves in cutting-edge research to stay ahead of market trends. Alben shares this perspective. In a 2020 company podcast, he explained his approach: “You try to figure out what the future should look like.”

Developing NVIDIA's next-generation chips can take up to three years. Alben stays ahead by frequently engaging with AI researchers within NVIDIA to anticipate customer needs. Originally designed for video games and graphics processing, NVIDIA chips have evolved over the years to become key tools in AI training and solving new problems. Alben recalls a moment when he realized the chips he was designing had more potential than he initially imagined. He was inspired by a paper that described how researchers used GPUs to simulate human olfaction. "NVIDIA's salespeople never called that researcher to try to sell them a GPU,” Alben said in the podcast. “That was the first time I thought, ‘This is not just about solving the three things on our to-do list.'”

Alben's journey at NVIDIA has not only shaped the company's chip designs but also played a critical role in navigating global challenges. As AI technology continues to reshape industries, Alben's expertise and leadership remain pivotal in ensuring NVIDIA stays at the forefront of innovation.