During a business trip to the United States, Choi Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, met with Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, to discuss partnerships in artificial intelligence (AI) memory at a local chicken restaurant named '99 Chicken' in Santa Clara, California. This meeting comes amid discussions regarding high inheritance tax rates in South Korea that have driven wealthy individuals to consider relocating; the timing of the meeting sparked a response to a recent controversy about 'fake news' related to these taxation issues as highlighted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which Choi is a chairman.

Reports indicate that this meeting on October 5 was somewhat reflective of previous engagements between the two leaders, showcasing their continuous collaboration in the technology sector. Their interaction is significant in light of SK Hynix's role as a primary supplier of AI memory to Nvidia, which is a leading player in the global AI chip market. As Nvidia prepares to launch new AI accelerators in the latter half of this year, the competitive landscape between Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix for supplying advanced high-bandwidth memory to Nvidia raises the stakes for both companies.

Industry observers suggest that the conversation during their meal likely revolved around strategies for HBM provision, investments in AI, and next-generation memory technologies. The longstanding relationship between Choi and Huang has been conducive to fostering business initiatives that could drive future innovations in the tech field, and this meeting reinforces the ongoing importance of collaboration in advancing AI capabilities and infrastructure.