Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has recently found himself at the center of global attention, participating in high-profile events such as the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea and receiving an award from Prince Charles at St James’s Palace. His influence extends beyond international forums as he also graced the stage for the world premiere of “The Monkey King” at the San Francisco Opera.
Huang and his wife, Lori Huang, have committed to a significant annual donation of $5 million over multiple years to the San Francisco Opera. This year’s contribution has primarily gone towards underwriting “The Monkey King,” while future donations are set to support main-stage operas, young artist training, community programming, and digital media initiatives.
According to opera director Matthew Shilvock, this substantial gift places the Huangs among the top tier of opera donors, alongside just a few other families. He described the donation as “a hugely important expression of belief in the arts in San Francisco,” noting its transformative impact across the Bay Area’s creative community.
A spokesperson for the Huang family expressed their pride in chairing the world premiere of “The Monkey King,” a production that fuses Chinese legend with American creativity. “As supporters of the arts and of the Bay Area, the Huang family looks forward to a continued partnership with the Opera, one of San Francisco’s most important arts organizations,” the spokesperson stated.
In addition to their financial support, the Huang family is sponsoring over 600 tickets for employees and industry leaders to attend the performances, which will feature receptions at the Green Room of the War Veterans Memorial Building. Huang is expected to attend one of these receptions to formally announce the family’s donation. This initiative has been organized by their daughter, Madison Huang, who works at Nvidia and is managing the family’s relationship with the opera.
This donation follows a previous commitment from the Huang family of $22.5 million to save the California College of the Arts from closure. It coincides with Nvidia’s expansion as the company finalizes a lease for a new office in San Francisco, encompassing 45,000 square feet in Mission Rock.
Huang’s engagement in local affairs has been increasingly prominent, especially after making headlines when President Trump acknowledged him as one of two tech CEOs who persuaded him against deploying the National Guard in the city. Huang’s collaboration with the San Francisco Opera began when Maryam Muduroglu, former head of protocol for San Francisco, mentioned “The Monkey King” premiere to him. Muduroglu noted that Huang expressed excitement about the opera’s deep connection to Asian culture.
Shilvock later approached the Huangs to act as ambassadors for the show to bolster awareness and philanthropic support. Following Huang’s involvement, tech leaders like Chris Larsen of Ripple and Jerry Yang of Yahoo joined the honorary committee. Muduroglu emphasized that Huang’s participation has been crucial in attracting members of the tech community, which the opera has long sought to engage.
“Jensen and Lori becoming honorary chairs for ‘The Monkey King’ just opened up a whole other set of conversations and excitement for the opera itself,” she stated.
The opera, composed by Huang Ruo with a libretto by David Henry Hwang, is based on the classic Ming Dynasty novel “Journey to the West,” and features performances in both English and Mandarin. The production was commissioned by the San Francisco Opera in collaboration with the Chinese Heritage Foundation of Minnesota.
Critics have praised the show, with The New York Times describing it as “spectacular” and “a jaw-dropping feat of music theater.”
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