Jensen Huang, the Nvidia CEO who has just resigned over his affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy, has a signature aesthetic that makes him stick out from the Silicon Valley tech bro crowd. In a mucky cesspit of quarter-zips and puffer vests, 63-year-old Huang gives keynote speeches, appears on conference calls and even goes out for drinks with his mistress in his trademark leather jacket. He has a whole luxury collection. Call him a connoisseur: his favorites include a $9,000 Tom Ford number with crocodile embossing and another biker-style design with an edgy snap-tab collar. The warning signs were there all along: this is the wardrobe equivalent of maxing out your credit line on a mid-life crisis Porsche 911.
But Huang’s sartorial affiliations do follow a tech blueprint. It seems that in order to make it in Silicon Valley, you need a signature uniform. The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs set the trend with his signature black Issey Miyake turtleneck, blue Levi’s 501s and New Balance sneakers. Among the new generation of AI and social media overlords, though, having a distinct uniform has become a prerequisite before you even deliver your inaugural TED Talk about the future of AI chips,
