A black leather jacket has become a topic of discussion among the world's intellectuals. Once a symbol of innovation, challenge, freedom, and success, it has now turned into a satire of human desire, power, vanity, and downfall.
The owner of the jacket is Jensen Huang, who founded NVIDIA in 1993 and has grown it into the world's leading AI semiconductor company over the past 33 years. When he took the stage wearing the black leather jacket, thousands of audience members cheered, and his words could sway massive funds in the global financial markets.
However, in November 2026, the situation changed.
Jensen Huang stepped down as CEO of NVIDIA amid reports of controversies surrounding his personal life and allegations of connections with a businessman linked to Chinese intelligence agencies. The company appointed Colette Kress as interim CEO and Harvey C. Jones as chairman of the board, initiating the search for a new CEO.
This marked the exit of a figure who symbolized the global AI industry.
Interestingly, the global media's reaction was notable.
Anand Giridharadas, a writer for The New York Times, penned a satirical column titled 'Jensen Huang Betrayed the Leather Jacket Community.' The Guardian analyzed the fate of Huang's black leather jacket, which had become a punchline, drawing parallels to Marlon Brando's iconic style.
Intellectuals around the world read the crisis of a massive semiconductor empire through a single leather jacket.
In a way, it is a humorous story. Yet, within that satire lies a sharp question that pierces the essence of contemporary capitalist civilization.
Why do humans strive to appear special? Why does power elevate one person to the status of an idol? And why is a person who has become powerful enough to dominate the world unable to govern their own heart?
Following these questions leads to a convergence of Western Greek tragedies and Eastern texts like the I Ching, Tao Te Ching, and Cheonbu-gyeong.
In that space, there exists humanity, culture, and nature.
The Cultural History of Leather Jackets from Marlon Brando to Jensen Huang
A leather jacket is not just an article of clothing. In 20th-century popular culture, it became a symbol of rebellion, freedom, youth, and independence.
Marlon Brando's portrayal in the 1953 film 'The Wild One,' where he rides a motorcycle in a black leather jacket, became legendary in American youth culture. James Dean symbolized youthful anxiety and freedom, while David Bowie transformed the leather jacket into a new sensibility in music and art.
The image of the leather jacket created by Hollywood and rock music was a declaration of nonconformity.
Jensen Huang brought that symbolism to Silicon Valley.
Just as Steve Jobs had his black turtleneck, Huang had his black leather jacket. While Jobs' attire symbolized simplicity and focus, Huang's outfit combined the images of a rebellious engineer and a rock star on stage.
He was not a traditional businessman in a tie but appeared as a pioneer of technological civilization, as if he had come to invent a new world.
According to The Guardian, he claimed to own dozens of leather jackets, with one Tom Ford jacket selling for an astonishing $960,000 at a charity auction.
This price cannot be explained solely by the materials or design of the jacket.
People were not just buying a leather jacket; they were purchasing a piece of the success myth surrounding Jensen Huang.
This is the symbolic economy of modern capitalism. Products are not merely items; they sell meaning, and brands are not just names; they sell people's dreams.
The problem arises when symbols become too powerful.
When a company's brand becomes entirely intertwined with an individual's appearance, behavior, speech, and attire, a personal crisis becomes a corporate crisis.
The leather jacket was the most effective advertisement for NVIDIA's success, but it also became a conduit for transmitting the founder's personal risks to the entire company.
The jacket itself did not change. What changed was the world's perception of it.
$9,000 Armor: What Was It Protecting?
Some media outlets reported that the high-end leather jacket worn by Jensen Huang was priced at $9,000.
However, the important aspect of this incident is not the price of the jacket.
The question is what the jacket was concealing.
The leather jacket served as a kind of armor for him. It was the outfit for confidently declaring the company's future on stage and a device for conveying assurance in an uncertain technology market.
People saw confidence, courage, and an independent spirit in that jacket.
However, external appearances do not guarantee internal maturity.
Wearing a black leather jacket does not make one a free person, nor does wearing a fine suit make one a moral leader.
True freedom lies in not being led by one's desires.
The ancient Greeks referred to the arrogance of forgetting one's limits as 'hubris.'
The protagonists of Greek tragedies are not necessarily incompetent or evil. Rather, tragedy begins when a person who has achieved great abilities and brilliant success forgets their limits.
Jensen Huang's success is historic. There is no reason to deny his technological contributions. However, the controversies surrounding him and his resignation illustrate that no matter how great an individual's achievements, personal responsibility and organizational norms cannot be substituted.
Of course, the acknowledgment of extramarital affairs and allegations of espionage must be strictly distinguished. The connections with Chinese intelligence agencies, illegal appropriation of semiconductors, and leaks of corporate secrets each require independent evidence and investigation.
Reflecting on human faults and condemning individuals based on unverified suspicions are entirely different matters.
Maintaining this distinction is the hallmark of a civilized society.
The Departure of the Emperor but the Empire Remains
On November 12, NVIDIA officially announced Jensen Huang's resignation. Colette Kress was appointed as interim CEO, and Harvey Jones became the chairman of the board.
This change is not merely a personnel issue.
NVIDIA must now transition from a company driven by the charisma of its founder to one centered around systems and organization.
Jensen Huang was a manager who integrated GPUs, CUDA, AI accelerators, networking, and data center systems into a single strategy. His strengths lay not only in understanding technology but also in his ability to unify different technologies, people, and markets toward a common direction.
Such abilities are not easily replicated.
However, the fate of a company cannot be entrusted to one person indefinitely.
Who the next CEO will be, how many key technical personnel remain, whether the development schedule for next-generation AI semiconductors is maintained, and whether contracts with clients are executed reliably will determine NVIDIA's competitiveness moving forward.
The earnings report scheduled for the 17th will be the first test of this transition.
What may shake first, even before GPU sales, is the speed of decision-making and personnel. However, predicting the potential departure of key technical personnel with specific numbers is merely a scenario, not an objectively verified probability.
What matters is not the precise prediction of numbers but the essence of risk.
Semiconductors can be produced in factories, but the creativity of humans designing new semiconductors and the trust within organizations cannot be manufactured.
A great founder can create a company. However, for that company to remain great after the founder's departure, institutions are necessary.
What remains in the place of the emperor?
That is the question NVIDIA must answer moving forward.
Bill Gates, Donald Trump, and the Anthropology of Power
The story of Jensen Huang is not confined to one individual in Silicon Valley. Bill Gates is also a key figure in the technological revolution that transformed Microsoft into a global powerhouse. He has since invested vast resources into charitable activities aimed at addressing global health, education, and poverty issues.
However, his personal life and past relationships have also become subjects of social controversy.
His technological achievements and philanthropic efforts deserve recognition. At the same time, the private judgments and responsibilities of individuals with public influence must undergo legitimate scrutiny.
Achievements do not grant moral immunity.
Donald Trump presents a different dimension of this issue. Trump transitioned from businessman to political leader, positioning himself at the center of American politics based on a powerful personal brand and popular mobilization.
His supporters praise his decisiveness and execution in challenging the existing order. Critics express concern that his rhetoric and exercise of power could undermine institutional norms and social trust.
Political evaluations of him may vary.
However, he too is not exempt from the principle that an individual's charisma cannot replace the laws and institutions of a nation.
Jensen Huang, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump are figures from different realms. One is a semiconductor entrepreneur, another is a pioneer of the software revolution, and the third is a political leader in the United States.
These individuals' actions and controversies should not be conflated.
Nonetheless, common questions persist.
How reflective are individuals with immense power and ability? Do they mistake their success for omnipotence? Do they possess institutions and conscience to check their personal judgments?
The maturity of civilization is revealed not in the power of leaders but in the ability to control that power.
The Warning of Eastern Classics About the Risks of Power and Success
Eastern classics have long warned about the dangers of power and success. The I Ching's hexagram 'Kang Long Yu Hui' (亢龍有悔) conveys that even a dragon soaring high in the sky has regrets.
The dragon symbolizes the most powerful being in the East, possessing the ability to ascend to the heavens and summon rain to move the world.
However, the I Ching also states that even the dragon has limits.
It is not enough to rise high; one must know when to stop and when to retreat, and be aware of one's position.
The peak of success can always be the starting point of new risks.
Jensen Huang's leather jacket resembled the scales of a dragon that had soared to the heavens. It attracted the world's attention and symbolized the grandeur of technological civilization.
However, while clothing can protect a person, it cannot safeguard their heart.
The wisdom imparted by the I Ching is not to mock those who have fallen.
It teaches that the higher one rises, the more humility is required, and the stronger one becomes, the more restraint is necessary.
This applies not only to corporate management but also to national leadership.
The fact that the United States possesses the world's leading technology does not mean it can forever suppress the development of other nations. Similarly, China's immense national capabilities do not guarantee that all technological barriers can be overcome solely through political will.
South Korea cannot secure its future merely through friendships with specific powerful nations or relationships with particular business figures.
The stronger a nation, the more it must recognize its limits.
Who is the Truly Strong Person?
Laozi stated in Chapter 33 of the Tao Te Ching, 'Knowing others is intelligence; knowing oneself is true wisdom.'
The following statement is even more powerful.
Is there a better phrase to describe Jensen Huang's leather jacket?
He knew how to defeat his competitors. He understood how to advance GPUs and dominate the core platform of the AI industry.
However, corporate success and personal maturity are not the same.
The skills to defeat others can be learned. The wisdom to conquer oneself must be cultivated throughout one's life.
The Tao Te Ching does not deny power. It questions how that power should be used.
Bill Gates' vast wealth, Trump's political power, and Huang's technological influence ultimately exist for the betterment of human life.
When power begins to dominate humanity, civilization becomes endangered.
Only when humans can govern power do technology and authority become tools of civilization.
The Harmony of Heaven and Earth Within Humanity
Now, I would like to revisit this incident through the lens of Korea's ancient spiritual culture.
The Cheonbu-gyeong is a brief text that encapsulates the relationship between the universe and humanity. There are scholarly discussions regarding its transmission, establishment period, and interpretations. Therefore, it is unnecessary to accept one interpretation as the historically definitive meaning.
However, the ideological symbolism contained within it resonates deeply even today.
The Cheonbu-gyeong begins with 'Il Si Mu Si Il' (一始無始一) and ends with 'Il Jong Mu Jong Il' (一終無終一).
It starts with one, but that beginning transcends a simple temporal start. It ends with one, but that end does not imply complete annihilation, allowing for philosophical interpretation.
The universe is not a collection of disconnected fragments but a single order of interconnectedness.
Among these, there is a particularly noteworthy phrase.
'In Jung Cheon Ji Il' (人中天地一).
This can be interpreted as the harmony of heaven and earth within humanity.
This phrase does not declare humanity as the absolute ruler of the universe.
Rather, it suggests that humans are beings placed within the order of heaven and earth, and they must embody that harmony within themselves.
Heaven symbolizes the ideals, spirit, and moral principles that humanity pursues.
Earth symbolizes the reality, material conditions, and survival circumstances in which humanity lives.
And humanity is the entity that connects these two worlds.
If one only gazes at heaven, they lose touch with reality; if one pursues only earthly benefits, they lose their spirit.
A true human must harmonize ideals and reality, spirit and matter, freedom and responsibility within themselves.
This is the modern significance of 'In Jung Cheon Ji Il.'
Jensen Huang achieved dazzling success in the world of earth. He moved semiconductors, data centers, capital, and markets. However, that achievement does not guarantee the completion of one's inner self.
In Bill Gates' case, there must be constant questioning of how technology, capital, charity, and social responsibility can achieve a balance.
For Trump, the critical task is how to harmonize national power with personal authority, constitutional order with political ambition.
Though their lives differ, all three stand before a singular philosophical question.
Do humans carry within themselves the principles of heaven and the realities of earth?
Power without heaven is prone to arrogance. Ideals without earth are likely to become hollow.
Only those who can harmonize the two can become true leaders.
'In Jung Cheon Ji Il' is not merely a religious slogan. It can be read as a philosophical compass asking what humanity must safeguard in the age of technology and power.
From Leather Jackets to the Semiconductor Power Struggle
Jensen Huang's departure has introduced a new variable into the semiconductor power struggle between the United States and China.
The U.S. aims to restrict China's access to advanced AI semiconductors. China is pursuing technological self-sufficiency through companies like Huawei, SMIC, and CXMT.
In this context, NVIDIA occupies a dual position as a supplier of advanced AI semiconductors while also needing to comply with U.S. national security regulations.
Allegations surrounding Alice Huang and Megaspeed illustrate this structural tension. If U.S. advanced semiconductors are installed in overseas data centers and Chinese companies remotely utilize computing power, merely verifying the physical location of the semiconductors does not resolve technological security issues.
However, allegations of connections with intelligence agencies and illegal exports must still be judged based on evidence.
Claims that the Chinese government is protecting specific individuals also require independent verification.
What is crucial is not to blur the lines between fact and speculation under the guise of national security.
South Korea must remain even more level-headed.
The future of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is not determined solely by personal relationships with Jensen Huang. Factors such as HBM technology, production yields, supply contracts, customer diversification, advanced packaging, and the competitiveness of the semiconductor ecosystem are vital.
The so-called 'ganbu' friendship formed between the South Korean business community and Jensen Huang was a warm scene. However, friendship is not a contract, and photographs do not constitute an industrial strategy.
People can leave. Technology can advance, and markets can change.
What must remain is a reliable system and competitiveness.
The principles of change articulated in the I Ching apply here as well.
No power is fixed forever. No technology can be monopolized indefinitely. Only companies and nations that read change and renew themselves will survive.
The Place Where Humanity, Culture, and Nature Must Return in the Age of AI
Humans are a part of nature. No matter how great the technology created, humanity cannot escape the laws of nature. No matter how much wealth is accumulated, human time is finite. No matter how high the power, human dignity is fulfilled in relationships with others.
Modern AI civilization is expanding human intellectual capabilities at an astonishing pace. Machines analyze vast amounts of information, design new drugs, and robots prepare for a future where they replace human labor.
However, is humanity's inner self maturing at the same pace as technological advancement?
Humans have created faster semiconductors but still struggle to govern their own desires. They can control vast data yet fail to manage even a single emotion.
The ability to influence global financial markets does not necessarily translate into the ability to govern one's own heart.
Here, the harmony of humanity, culture, and nature becomes crucial.
Humans need food. Food represents survival and the economy.
Humans need work. Work signifies creation and social responsibility.
And humans need dreams. Dreams embody culture and the spirit toward the future.
Only when food, work, and dreams coexist can technology become civilization.
Semiconductors produce food, AI changes the way work is done, and human spirit determines what dreams will be realized through that technology.
A world where these three elements harmonize may be one path to modernizing the concept of 'In Jung Cheon Ji Il.'
Govern Yourself Before Conquering the World
Jensen Huang's leather jacket will remain in the memories of people worldwide.
However, now people will read a different meaning from that jacket.
Once, it symbolized freedom, challenge, success, and innovation.
Now, it evokes thoughts of human responsibility, restraint, and the importance of institutions that support that success.
That said, there is no need to mock everyone wearing a leather jacket as a symbol of vanity. The satire from The New York Times and The Guardian is intriguing not because they criticize the jacket itself.
It highlights the paradox of modern civilization, where an individual's image becomes the myth of a massive corporation, and that myth wavers in the face of human weaknesses.
The I Ching speaks of 'Kang Long Yu Hui.' The dragon that has soared high must recognize its limits.
The Tao Te Ching speaks of 'Zi Sheng Zi Jiang.' The one who conquers oneself is truly strong.
The Cheonbu-gyeong prompts reflection on the harmony of humanity with heaven and earth.
These three texts emerged from different eras and traditions but converge on a single question today.
How should humans govern their own power?
This question is relevant for Jensen Huang, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump.
It also applies to leaders in the United States, China, and South Korea.
Having built great companies does not absolve one from human duties. The strengthening of national power does not justify monopolizing the world's order.
When leaders embrace both the principles of heaven and the realities of earth and practice that harmony with human conscience, they become true leaders.
'In Jung Cheon Ji Il.'
The unity of heaven and earth within humanity.
This is the ancient wisdom we must revisit in the wake of Jensen Huang's leather jacket being shed.
Greater than the semiconductors that move the world is the human conscience, and stronger than the power that dominates the world is the restraint that governs oneself.
Humans must first govern themselves before conquering the world.
This is the path of humanity, the path of culture, and the path of civilization shared with nature and the universe.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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