Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has revealed that he will not be attending Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, instead choosing to celebrate the Lunar New Year "on the road" with employees and their families. This decision sets him apart from other prominent tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, who are all scheduled to attend the ceremony.

Huang's absence may come as a surprise, given Nvidia's efforts to build a relationship with the president-elect. The company has already made overtures to Trump, praising the more lax regulatory environment put in place by his administration and expressing enthusiasm for "a return to policies that strengthen American leadership." Additionally, Huang recently discussed increasing the production of Nvidia's advanced Blackwell artificial intelligence chips with Chung Ching Wei, the chairman of Nvidia's main supplier, TSMC.

Despite this, Nvidia is noticeably absent from the list of companies that have donated to Trump's inauguration, with OpenAI, Meta, Google, and Microsoft each pledging $1 million to fund the ceremony. Furthermore, Huang has not been seen at Mar-a-Lago, unlike top execs from other companies like Apple's Tim Cook, Google's Sundar Pichai, and Microsoft's Satya Nadella, who have all made efforts to build a personal connection with Trump.

Nvidia's decision to prioritize the Lunar New Year celebrations may be seen as a strategic move to maintain a strong relationship with its employees and partners, particularly in the Asian market. As the company controls an estimated 90% of the market share of AI chips, it is likely that Huang wants to ensure that Nvidia remains a key player in the industry, regardless of the political landscape.

The tech industry's response to Trump's inauguration has been closely watched, with many companies and executives seeking to build ties with the new administration. Nvidia's decision to take a more low-key approach may be seen as a calculated move to maintain its independence and focus on its core business, rather than getting drawn into the political fray.

As the tech industry continues to navigate the complexities of the new administration, Nvidia's decision to skip the inauguration may be seen as a sign of the company's commitment to its employees, partners, and core values. Whether this approach will ultimately benefit the company remains to be seen, but for now, Huang's focus on the Lunar New Year celebrations is a clear indication of Nvidia's priorities.