Nvidia stands today as the world's most valuable company, a titan powering the global AI revolution. However, its journey to the top was not without significant controversy. A stark reminder of this is the resurfacing of a 2012 video where Linux creator Linus Torvalds launched a scathing public attack on the chipmaker, even showing them the middle finger.
The Infamous 2012 Rant: "The Worst Company We've Ever Dealt With"
The incident occurred during a public Q&A session. When asked about Nvidia's hardware support for the Linux operating system, Torvalds did not hold back. He explicitly called Nvidia "the worst trouble spot" for the Linux community regarding hardware manufacturers.
"Nvidia has been one of the worst trouble spots we've had with hardware manufacturers, and that is really sad because Nvidia tries to sell chips, a lot of chips, into the Android market," Torvalds stated. He culminated his criticism by declaring, "Nvidia has been the single worst company we've ever dealt with." To emphasise his frustration, Torvalds then used an expletive directed at Nvidia and made the middle-finger gesture directly to the camera.
Nvidia's Official Response to the Linux Community
Following the viral outburst, Nvidia issued a formal public relations statement addressing the complaints. The company acknowledged the importance of supporting Linux but defended its technical approach.
Regarding specific criticism about its Optimus notebook technology, Nvidia explained that at launch, it was designed with support only for Windows 7. The core of their defence centred on their development philosophy. "While we understand that some people would prefer us to provide detailed documentation on all of our GPU internals... we have made a decision to support Linux on our GPUs by leveraging Nvidia common code, rather than the Linux common infrastructure," the statement read.
Nvidia countered that Linux users ultimately received robust support, claiming benefits like same-day support for new GPUs and performance parity between its Windows and Linux drivers.
From Pariah to Powerhouse: Nvidia's Meteoric Ascent
The contrast between that 2012 low point and Nvidia's current dominance could not be more dramatic. Over the past decade, the company, led by its iconic CEO Jensen Huang, has executed a monumental turnaround.
Nvidia has effectively dethroned Intel to become the indispensable partner for tech giants like Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet, who rely on its powerful chips for artificial intelligence. The company's financial achievements are historic. In 2025, it became the first company ever to reach a $5 trillion market valuation, just months after crossing the $4 trillion mark.
Founder and CEO Jensen Huang's personal fortune has soared in tandem, with Forbes estimating his net worth at a staggering $165.3 billion. The story of Nvidia is now a defining narrative of modern technology, proving that even the most public and bitter criticisms can be overshadowed by unprecedented innovation and market success.
