“This is now how I deal with anxiety… I first break it down, and then I’m gonna tell myself, ‘Okay, there are some things you can do something about, there’s some things you can’t do anything about. But for the stuff that you can do something about, let’s reason about it and let’s go do it.'” – Jensen Huang – Nvidia CEO
This quote comes from Jensen Huang’s appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast #494, titled “NVIDIA – The $4 Trillion Company & the AI Revolution,” released on March 23, 2026.[SOURCE]
Context from Recent Interviews
Huang has openly discussed his constant state of anxiety, describing it as a driving force fueled by Nvidia’s near-bankruptcies in the 1990s and a persistent fear of failure. He maintains the mindset that Nvidia is always “30 days from going out of business,” even as the company reached a $5 trillion valuation.1,2,3
- Huang admits to working 7 days a week, including holidays, in a “constant state of anxiety,” checking emails from 4 a.m. daily.2,3
- He views vulnerability and suffering as essential to leadership, stating that fear of failure motivates him more than ambition or success.1,3
- Success, per Huang, involves “long periods of loneliness, humiliation, and fear,” but embracing these builds resilience.1,2
Leadership Insights
Huang emphasizes that leaders should not pretend to be perfect, as openness to mistakes enables adaptation. This anxiety management technique aligns with his philosophy: reason through controllable factors and act decisively, while accepting the uncontrollable.[SOURCE]1
Tags: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, Lex Fridman, disruption, AI, artificial intelligence, quote, leadership, resilience, anxiety
References
3. https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-joe-rogan-2025-12
4. https://www.easttexasreview.com/nvidia-ceos-consuming-anxiety-solutions/
