Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sat down at a Seoul chicken joint with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, shared fried chicken and beer, and participated in a “love shot”—a Korean drinking ritual where you intertwine arms and toast together. It says more about how major tech partnerships actually work than any press release could.
This wasn’t casual networking. It was Huang’s first visit to South Korea in over a decade, and he came bearing gifts: Nvidia DGX AI systems inscribed with “To our partnership and future of the world.” The symbolism was deliberate—this wasn’t about closing a deal, it was about cementing a relationship.
Here’s what’s worth noticing: Huang didn’t invite these executives to Nvidia headquarters or arrange a formal dinner. He went to Kkanbu Chicken in Gangnam and participated in local customs. That choice signals understanding that partnerships between Nvidia, Samsung, and Hyundai aren’t just about GPU supply chains—they’re about long-term collaboration across autonomous vehicles, semiconductors, and AI development.
The most significant partnerships require more than shared interests—they require shared experiences. When coordinating billion-dollar collaborations across continents and cultures, informal moments build the trust that formal agreements depend on.
Huang also paid for everyone’s meals that night, surprising other diners who found themselves part of an impromptu celebration. Small gesture, significant goodwill.
What makes this relevant: Nvidia’s AI dominance depends on manufacturing partnerships with Samsung, while Hyundai’s autonomous vehicle ambitions depend on Nvidia’s compute. These aren’t casual relationships—they’re strategic dependencies. The fact that their leaders met informally suggests they understand that long-term collaboration requires genuine relationship-building, not just alignment on deliverables.
The question this raises: are Western tech companies missing opportunities by prioritizing efficiency over relationship depth? Maybe some partnerships succeed while others stall not because of terms or technology, but because leaders invest in the human side of business.