Keith Parkins

Several people encouraged me to share a post I made on LinkedIn, here on X I wrote this from the heart, about someone I had the privilege of working closely with for years. No agenda. Just a side of Jensen I hope doesn’t get lost in the noise. As the days pass, my heart grows heavier. I have worked at NVIDIA for nearly eight years. I have never worked for anyone quite like @JensenHuang , and I doubt I ever will. Much has been written about his extraordinary vision and the company he built. But there is another side to Jensen that I have had the privilege of witnessing. And I am only speaking to what I have personally witnessed. I have watched him stand behind researchers, founders, and startups when few others would. Companies struggling to survive, ideas that seemed too early, people whose ambitions exceeded their resources. He saw possibilities most of us could not yet comprehend. And he committed his time, attention, and NVIDIA’s resources to helping them succeed. Some of these companies might not exist today without him. His capacity for long-term thinking is extraordinary. Sometimes it took me years to appreciate the implications of something he had recognized almost immediately. Few could match his ability to connect technology, markets, and people. My own journey at NVIDIA has not always been easy. Through difficult organizational transitions and moments of uncertainty, Jensen’s guidance and willingness to stand behind my work helped me persevere. But what I will remember most is his humanity. My sister, has been fighting an unforgiving battle with brain cancer. When her condition deteriorated during her visit to California, our family faced unimaginable circumstances: devastating medical decisions, overwhelming hospital expenses, and the possibility of losing her far from home. Despite everything on his shoulders, Jensen found the time to care. He helped my family through circumstances that seemed impossible. And he took the time to meet my sister. The photograph here is one I will treasure for the rest of my life. When he told me, “I am proud of you. Treasure this time together,” I understood something about leadership that no professional experience could have taught me. What I will miss most professionally is the extraordinary combination of vision, conviction, curiosity, and personal commitment he brought to everything. His ability to see around corners, to challenge conventional thinking, and to bring an entire ecosystem along with him. Organizations evolve, leadership changes, and new chapters begin. But the influence of someone who has shaped so many people, ideas, and possibilities endures far beyond any role or title. Jensen built far more than NVIDIA. He helped build an ecosystem of researchers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and companies whose futures became intertwined with his vision. I do not know what comes next. I only know how grateful I am to have worked with him, learned from him, and experienced his kindness when my family needed it most. Thank you, Jensen. For your guidance, for believing in people and ideas long before the rest of us understood them, and above all, for your extraordinary humanity.