Nvidia's Near-Death Turnaround 30 Years Ago
IgorCarron · x · 2026-07-16
A look back at NVIDIA's critical moment in 1995 when they failed to deliver chips for Sega on time. Jensen Huang flew to Tokyo, admitted to choosing the wrong technical architecture, and asked Sega to convert the $5 million owed to them into NVIDIA equity.
Huang frankly admitted the money might go down the drain, but Sega agreed anyway. This funding kept NVIDIA afloat, enabling the development of the RIVA 128 and its successful IPO. 30 years later, Huang returned to an arcade in Akihabara, Tokyo, to thank his benefactors in person. If Sega hadn't sold those shares early, they would be worth about $1 trillion today.
Related event: NVIDIA's Huang Reunites with Sega to Honor 1995 Lifeline(2 posts)→
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