On Thursday evening, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong and [hotlink]Hyundai Motor[/hotlink] Group executive chair Chung Eui-sun for fried chicken and beer at a small restaurant in Seoul’s Gangnam District.
The outing—which appeared, according to local reports, to be equal parts publicity stunt, cultural gesture, and celebration of potential new AI partnerships—drew throngs of spectators with flashing cameras and sent South Korean fried-chicken stocks soaring.
The unlikely trio shared platters of crispy chicken, cheese sticks, and cold beer at Kkanbu Chicken, a local franchise known for “chimaek,” the country’s beloved combination of chicken and beer.
Huang, dressed in his signature black leather jacket, chatted freely with fans and repeatedly left his billionaires table to hand out food to passersby, telling reporters, “I love fried chicken and I love beer, and I love fried chicken and beer with my friends.”
Their table was conspicuously positioned near the restaurant’s front windows, offering onlookers a clear view of the three billionaires clinking glasses and linking arms for a toast. Such a display is rare in South Korea, where “chaebol” leaders like Lee and Chung tend to keep a low public profile.
Within minutes, clips of the dinner spread across Korean social media, turning the event into what local outlets dubbed a “Jensanity” moment.
By the next morning, the hype had spilled into the markets. Kyochon F&B, one of South Korea’s largest fried-chicken chains, saw its shares jump as much as 20%. Poultry processor Cherrybro Co. hit the daily trading limit with a 30% surge, while Neuromeka—a company that manufactures chicken-frying robots—also rallied.
Kkanbu Chicken itself is privately held, but its staff said sales across the franchise spiked after the news broke, with some outlets reportedly selling out of fried chicken.
The phenomenon underscores a broader pattern in South Korea’s markets, where retail investors are known to chase sudden, meme-driven surges tied to a cultural or political moment, often to their own detriment.
Beyond the viral meal, the dinner carried strategic weight. Huang was in Seoul for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summit, where he announced Nvidia will supply more than 260,000 advanced graphics processing units to South Korean firms including Samsung and Hyundai. The chips will be used to bolster the country’s artificial intelligence capabilities in many sectors, including semiconductors and robotics.
“This is the best way to enjoy chimaek,” Huang, according to The New York Times, said as he left the restaurant, ringing the golden bell to cover the $1,800 tab for all diners. Huang’s company just became the first in history to reach a $5 trillion market capitalization.
“To our partnership and the future of the world,” he wrote in a signed note to his South Korean counterparts.
