New Delhi, Jan. 23 -- BEFORE CO-FOUNDING Nvidia, the pioneer of artificial-intelligence (AI) chips, Jensen Huang was a busboy at Denny's, a restaurant chain. He playfully reminded people of this on October 28th while delivering water to panellists at his firm's first big jamboree in Washington, DC. From busboy to billionaire, Mr Huang is now also in service to President Donald Trump. Shortly after he made a keynote speech peppered with tributes to the president, he flew to South Korea to accompany him as he prepared for trade talks with China.

Many people look askance at the way the tech elite has cosied up to the president. But the boss of the world's most valuable firm, who once kept his distance from politics, says he is "incredibly p...