Mercedes for $1.33 Billion? Jensen Huang Regretted His Shortsightedness in 1999
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang shared a story that made the company's fans grab their calculators. It’s about how a simple gift to his parents turned into the loss of a fortune due to stock price growth.
In 1999, right after NVIDIA went public, Jensen decided to thank his parents by buying them a truly luxurious item — a Mercedes-Benz S-Class for $135,000. The money for the car was taken from cashed-out shares of the “green” company.
So why does Huang talk about shortsightedness? The company’s shares multiplied in value several times by 2026, and considering this and a few stock splits, that $135,000 could have turned into $1.33 billion now. Jensen calls this car "the most expensive in the world." According to him, his parents still own and drive the car, but now they also "regret" the gift, knowing its opportunity cost.