At the Synopsys Users Group (SNUG) 2024 event, a gathering renowned for its deep dive into the semiconductor industry’s latest trends and technologies, attendees were treated to an exceptional dialogue between Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. This year’s event, marking the 35th anniversary of SNUG, stood out not just for its celebration of past achievements but for its forward-looking perspective on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The conversation between Ghazi and Huang, followed by Ghazi’s solo presentation, offered a comprehensive overview of the industry’s trajectory towards innovation, the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence, and the strategic importance of collaboration in overcoming the complexities of modern silicon design.
Ghazi, stepping onto the stage as the first CEO following the industry’s longest serving CEO, Aart de Geus (1986-2024), highlighted Synopsys’ commitment to its user community.
Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
In a delightful anecdote shared by Jensen Huang during his appearance at the SNUG 2024 event, he recounted a moment from Nvidia’s early startup days that elicited laughter and admiration from the audience. Huang jokingly reminisced about the time when Nvidia, then a fledgling company operating out of a modest townhouse, decided to show its gratitude to Synopsys for their indispensable support by offering Synopsys 250,000 shares of Nvidia stock. With a mischievous glint in his eye, Huang humorously recounted, “Those stocks, once thought to be little more than a kind gesture, have since become akin to buried treasure. I heard through the grapevine that Synopsys has been on a bit of a treasure hunt, looking for those stock certificates!” This remark drew a wave of laughter from the audience, as it painted a comical picture of Synopsys rummaging through old drawers and files in search of what turned out to be a highly valuable asset, thanks to Nvidia’s astronomical success.
