How AMD’s Lisa Su Got Under Nvidia’s Skin

AMD caught its much bigger rival off guard with a vow to significantly shrink Nvidia’s technical lead in AI chips. But to change AMD’s also-ran status, its CEO will still have to overcome its rival’s superior software and other advantages.

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AMD's Lisa Su (center) and Nvidia's Jensen Huang. Photos via Getty

When Advanced Micro Devices holds offsite meetings with senior leaders, its executives often find themselves sitting at the poker table at the end of the night with one particularly skillful player of card games: Lisa Su, the chipmaker’s CEO. Her aptitude for poker mirrors how she analyzes risk and reward for the decisions she makes at AMD, according to two executives who have worked with her.

At the moment, Su needs that skill—and perhaps some luck—more than ever. AMD is ramping up its efforts to grab some of the AI chip market from Nvidia, which dominates that business, accounting for an estimated 95% share of the market, according to research firm SemiAnalysis.