The Bay Area tech leader of what’s often regarded as the world’s most valuable company doubled down on his dedication to California again this week, brushing off the prospect of paying $8 billion in taxes to the state.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in a recent interview with the nonpartisan think tank Milken Institute that the proposed billionaire tax is “fine” and he “never once thought about it.”
“In a way, that’s our way of giving back,” Huang said.
It’s hardly a new question posed to Huang, who has been unwavering in his support of California and its importance to the tech industry. Meanwhile, many of his peers have made efforts to divest from the state to avoid paying the proposed tax. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have relocated businesses elsewhere, as has investor and former PayPal CEO Peter Thiel. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly bought a massive property in Florida.
Huang even poked fun at fellow wealthy individuals who take advantage of tax loopholes. When jokingly asked if he would name them, Huang laughed and said “no.”
When CNBC anchor Becky Quick, who facilitated the conversation, asked Huang about the estimated $8 billion he’d owe to the state, he jokingly appeared shocked and said he’d have to do some “fact checking” on the number.
“I love California, and I prefer lower taxes, but whatever they decide to ask me to pay, I’ll pay,” Huang said.
Huang kept his answers lighthearted, even making a tongue-in-cheek wish that part of his tax payment would go to something he really cared about. “I would love that they would apply $10,000 of the taxes that I paid to fix that one pothole on 101. … If they let me, I’ll do it myself,” he said with a laugh.
The proposed billionaire tax has not yet been formally certified for the ballot, but organizers have recently said they have enough signatures to qualify. The tax would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires’ net worth if their primary residence was in California as of Jan. 1, 2026.
Huang’s comments came in the middle of an hourlong conversation titled “Leading in the Age of AI” at the Santa Monica think tank’s annual Global Conference. In his signature leather jacket, he defended artificial intelligence’s importance, pointing optimistically to its future potential.
Huang moved to California in the late 1980s to work. He then earned a master’s degree at Stanford and has since been a fierce advocate for the state. “We love the culture that’s here,” he said.