Neither Madison nor Spencer started in technology, with Madison training as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu and Spencer running a cocktail lab in Taipei, before both pursued AI courses at MIT and MBAs prior to joining Nvidia

Unlike many children of tech founders who enter leadership roles directly, Madison Huang and Spencer Huang, the daughter and son of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, began their careers at the entry level, steadily climbing the corporate ladder through hands-on experience.

Madison joined Nvidia in 2020 as a marketing intern in the Omniverse division, which focuses on digital twin technology for virtual factory design. She progressed to product marketing manager and is now senior director in the simulation software division. Spencer started in 2022 as a product manager in the Isaac Sim Cloud team, which provides cloud-based simulation services for robotics, and currently oversees AI models and simulation software as robotics product line manager. Both siblings were placed in divisions critical to Nvidia’s strategic growth.

Unconventional backgrounds and rapid advancement

Neither Madison nor Spencer began their careers in technology. Madison trained at Le Cordon Bleu and worked as a chef in New York and San Francisco, while Spencer ran a “Cocktail Lab” in Taipei, creating innovative drink recipes while studying Chinese at the National Taiwan University. In 2019, both took short AI courses at MIT and later pursued MBAs—Madison at London Business School and Spencer at New York University—before joining Nvidia.

Their rapid rise has been accompanied by substantial earnings. Madison’s total compensation for FY25 was estimated at $1.1 million, including salary, bonuses, and benefits, while Spencer earned around $530,000.

From ground level to leadership

It remains unclear whether the siblings hold any stake in Nvidia, although Jensen Huang retains approximately 3.5% of the company. Even if they inherit part of his shares, their influence over Nvidia’s operations would remain limited given the company’s large market capitalisation.

The Huang siblings’ journey illustrates an alternative approach to leadership in tech, showing that starting at the ground level and gaining practical experience can lead to senior roles in a global technology leader, even for those without a traditional tech background.