Three Billionaires “Unplanned Buffet of Kindness”: Diners at a popular fried chicken restaurant in Seoul were in for a surprise on Thursday when three of the world’s most powerful business leaders walked in—and generously paid for everyone’s meal.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, head of the world’s most valuable company, was joined by Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Chung Eui-sun for an evening at Kkanbu Chicken, a well-known “chimaek” (chicken and beer) restaurant in central Seoul. The gathering took place just ahead of the APEC summit in Gyeongju.
“I really enjoy fried chicken and beer with friends, so Kkanbu is the perfect place, right?” Huang told passersby who were live-streaming his arrival. Fittingly, “Kkanbu” is also a Korean slang term meaning “best friend.”
The tech leaders enjoyed an assortment of Korean favorites, including boneless fried chicken, cheese balls, cheese sticks, and classic fried chicken, accompanied by Terra beer and soju, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Local news footage captured the trio—whose combined wealth is around $195 billion—clinking glasses and linking arms in a traditional Korean drinking gesture symbolizing friendship. They even stepped outside to hand out chicken and cheese sticks to fans gathered nearby.
When asked about his favorite menu item, Huang responded excitedly, “The chicken wings were amazing. Have you tried them? They’re incredible!” He also offered food to the crowd, asking, “Anyone want fried chicken?”
At one point, Huang rang the restaurant’s “golden bell,” a symbolic way of offering to pay for everyone’s meal—though it was later reported that Samsung’s Lee picked up the tab, and Hyundai’s Chung covered the second round.
Business and Diplomacy Beyond the Dinner Table
While the evening was lighthearted, it came amid major geopolitical discussions. Leaders from across Asia, including Chinese President Xi Jinping—fresh from talks with U.S. President Donald Trump—have gathered in Gyeongju for the APEC summit. Among the pressing topics is access to advanced AI chips, a field where Nvidia has become dominant, with a market valuation nearing $5 trillion.
The day after the dinner, Huang met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the summit. He announced that Nvidia would supply more than 260,000 GPUs to South Korean companies, including Samsung and Hyundai.
According to the presidential office, Huang said Nvidia plans to collaborate with Samsung, Hyundai, Naver, and SK to advance “physical AI” technologies such as AI-powered autonomous vehicles.
