Nvidia founder Jensen Huang once struggled to get in touch with TSMC founder Morris Chang while looking for a manufacturer for the company’s graphics chips. Huang recently recalled how repeated phone calls failed to get a response, prompting him to try a different approach to reach the Taiwanese chipmaker’s founder.
The incident dates back to the late 1990s, when Nvidia was still a young company looking for a manufacturer to produce its graphics chips. Huang had heard about Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and decided to contact its US office. He found the telephone number in the Yellow Pages, a directory commonly used to look up businesses, and began calling. Nobody called me back,” Huang recalled. Unwilling to give up, he eventually wrote a lengthy letter to Chang explaining what Nvidia was building. The response still did not come immediately, but Huang’s persistence eventually paid off. One evening, Huang received an unexpected phone call from the TSMC founder himself. Nvidia employees were playing video games nearby, making enough noise for Huang to ask them to quieten down when he realised who was calling. “Hey, guys, shut up. It’s Morris Chang,” Huang recalled saying. The call was a major moment for the young company. Chang subsequently invited Huang to Taiwan, where he visited TSMC and rival chipmaker United Microelectronics Corporation. he ultimately chose TSMC after discussions with Chang about integrity, corporate governance and long-term business relationships Although Huang was impressed by both companies. The relationship proved significant as Nvidia expanded from graphics chips into artificial intelligence processors. TSMC became a key manufacturing partner, producing advanced chips used in Nvidia’s AI systems.
Huang shared the story during a conversation with podcaster Lex Fridman published in October 2026, according to Business Insider . However, his attempts did not produce the response he had hoped for. (Also Read: Rare egg of extinct giant moa bird to return to New Zealand after 60 years in US collection ) “Nobody called me. The company reported a record net profit of NT$763.06 billion for July to September 2026, up 68.7% from a year earlier, amid strong demand for AI-related chips. (Also Read: Controversial K-beauty anti-ageing injection made from cadaver skin sparks infection concerns ) Reflecting on the partnership , Huang said TSMC had continued to go to extraordinary lengths to support Nvidia, according to TSMC’s official third-quarter results .
“This is Morris Chang from TSMC,” the caller said, according to Huang’s recollection. “Maybe we won’t have to die,” Huang said, describing his relief at finally hearing from Chang. “For the whole time, 30 years, they’ve been jumping through hoops for us,” he said.
