NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang reveals the pickup line he used on his wife
The Nvidia CEO met his wife in college at 17, and the line he used to win her over had nothing to do with charm or cheesy dialogues.
Jensen Huang is the founder of one of the most valuable companies in the world. He’s often seen as a visionary and a hardworking innovator in technology. However, not many people realize that, when he was just 17, he was also a hopeless romantic who kept his promise. When he finally told the story in public, the internet lost it over a pickup line that involved homework.
What happened
Jensen Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and today serves as its CEO and president. Under his leadership, Nvidia grew from a graphics card company into the backbone of modern AI infrastructure. As of January 2026, Nvidia’s value has reached billions of dollars, making Huang a well-known figure in the tech world who regularly shares his vision about the future of technology.
But before any of that, he was a 17-year-old kid on a college campus who looked younger than everyone around him. Huang shared the story during a speech at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he had received an honorary degree.
He explained that when he started college at 16, he was the youngest in his class of 250 students, three of whom were women. Feeling out of place and aware that he needed to make an impression, he decided to focus on one thing he thought might catch someone’s attention: his intelligence. That’s how he met Lori, the woman who would later become his wife.
He said, “I walked up to her, and I said, ‘Do you want to see my homework?” He looked like a child. So if she was going to think anything positive about him at all, it had to be that he was smart. From there, he made her a deal. If she did homework with him every Sunday, he would guarantee her straight A’s. “As a result, I had a date every Sunday, and I made her do homework all day”, he added.
And then, to lock things in further, he told her that by the time he turned 30, he would be a CEO. “I had no idea what I was talking about,” he admitted. They married in 1985, when Huang was 22. The couple has two children: Madison and Spencer.
Today, Lori Huang serves as a co-founder of Jen-Hsun and the Lori Huang Foundation and has been a constant presence alongside Jensen throughout Nvidia’s growth. Jensen has spoken about Lori in multiple interviews over the years, often crediting her support as a reason he was able to take risks with the company.
Reactions
People were surprised by the pickup line he used, and he became successful, too. One person called it exactly what it was: “The best pickup line from a genius: do you want to see my homework.” Simple, unromantic, and completely on brand for someone who knew exactly what he had to offer at 17.
Many people were impressed by the bold promise he made so early on. “All Jensen had to say was ‘I’m going to be worth $100B one day,” one person joked. Another person humorously mentioned, “Now he’s like: wanna see the biggest cash pile ever?” He truly delivered on every version of his pickup line and probably a lot more.
One person noted there is a lesson in his experience: “Learning: Always think what exactly your customer is looking for and what you can offer that she will have to say YES.” This advice applies to both romantic relationships and business. Huang identified what Lori valued and positioned himself accordingly.
Another person appreciated that he bet on himself so confidently, “He bet on himself, not knowing whether he’d make it or not. Moral of his story: always bet on yourself. And do your homework.” At such a young age, he had no evidence of success, no company, and no experience. He had a strong belief in his dreams and a dedication to working hard day after day.
Why this matters
Pickup lines have a bad reputation because people don’t often take them seriously. They are usually cheesy, overly rehearsed, and the person on the receiving end can tell immediately. The lines that people actually take seriously are the ones where someone has something real to offer. Not just charm for the sake of charm or a compliment that is made up, but something meaningful that gives the other person a reason to say ‘yes’. That is a harder thing to fake, and most people do not even try.
The same idea applies to believing in yourself before others do. It can be uncomfortable to tell people that you will achieve something big when you have nothing to show for it yet; no safety net, no proof, and no guarantee of success. But if you wait until everything is perfectly in place before you back yourself, it will just delay your journey. At some point, you have to make the claim, mean it, and then work hard until the world recognizes your potential.
Sometimes the boldest thing a person can do is say out loud what they plan to become, before there is any reason for anyone, including themselves, to believe it.
