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Nvidia\u2019s CEO won\u2019t give up on you, which at first might sound nice. But the other foot has seemingly dropped on Nvidia\u2019s employees who are working round the clock because of just how much their executive claims to believe in them.<\/p>\n
Huang, the CEO of Nvidia<\/a>, has recently become a giant in the tech world as his AI chip design company soared to a $3 trillion<\/a> valuation in June. He doesn\u2019t necessarily usher in a different way of working, though: In a fireside chat<\/a> with Stripe<\/a> CEO Patrick Collison, Huang praised the value of pushing employees to the brink.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d rather torture you into greatness because I believe in you,\u201d Huang said. While he said he was being \u201ctongue in cheek,\u201d he added, \u201cI think coaches that really believe in their team torture them into greatness.\u201d<\/p>\n When you fire someone, there\u2019s the notion that they can\u2019t learn the job at hand, explained Huang\u2014but he doesn\u2019t really subscribe to that mentality. \u201cI don\u2019t like giving up on people because I think they could improve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Rather than avoiding putting all his eggs in one basket, Huang strays closer to breaking them. Indeed, accounts of a grueling workplace at Nvidia have recently cropped up. Anonymous interviews from a group of 10 current and former staff members paint a picture of an always-on culture, per Bloomberg<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n One such former employee spoke of seven-day work weeks and days that end around 1 or 2 a.m. They noted other staff members would sign off at even later hours. The reported \u201cpressure cooker<\/a>\u201d has led to some tension at the office. Another former worker said she attended seven to 10 daily meetings, where fighting and shouting was common.\u00a0<\/p>\n This workaholic norm is perhaps coming from the top-down. When asked in the same fireside talk about his work-life balance, Huang said the following: \u201cIt\u2019s really great. I work as much as I can,\u201d adding that he works from the moment he wakes up til he goes to bed. Huang is always thinking about work, and don\u2019t ask him how he liked the most recent film he watched because while he might sit there he doesn\u2019t \u201cremember them because I\u2019m thinking about work.\u201d<\/p>\n It all leads to a situation not unlike being inside with no recess on an exceptionally nice day. Nvidia workers have a pretty sweet deal when it comes to compensation, as they can contribute up to 15% of their salary to buying company shares at a 15% discount. But because of their long hours, there\u2019s not much of a playground to enjoy their riches with.<\/p>\n One former employee described it as being like being tied to \u201cgolden handcuffs,\u201d explaining that she didn\u2019t leave for two years because of her wealth-building opportunities. For sure, many workers likely don\u2019t quit because of their vested shares and the potential stock grants vested every four years. Turnover sat at 2.7% in 2023 compared to the general rate of 17.7% in the semiconductor industry, according to Nvidia\u2019s Sustainability Report<\/em><\/a> 2024\u2019s fiscal year.<\/p>\n Part of Huang\u2019s asserted ethos is that he doesn\u2019t want his workers to miss out on their potential. \u201cOftentimes they\u2019re so close,\u201d he noted. \u201cCould you imagine you gave up just that moment right before you got it? I don\u2019t want you to give up on that, so I\u2019ll just keep torturing you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Nvidia declined Fortune\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nRecommended Newsletter: <\/strong>Subscribe to Next to Lead, Fortune\u2019s weekly newsletter offering expert leadership strategies and insights for every stage of your career. Subscribe now<\/a>.<\/div>\n