Apple just launched its first foldable iPhone, and one of the most powerful people in tech has already made his pick. It’s not the Apple one. At the Korea Society Gala 2026 in New York City, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang held up his personal Galaxy Z Fold 8 on stage during his speech. Then Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee walked over and did the same thing. Two of the most influential figures in global tech, same phone, same moment.
Whether the whole thing was staged is anyone’s guess. But it doesn’t really matter. As SamMobile reported, this wasn’t even Huang’s first public Samsung foldable sighting. A few months earlier, he was spotted using the Galaxy Z Fold 7. So this isn’t a one-off photo op. The man is clearly a repeat customer.
And he’s not alone. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been seen using Samsung flagships on multiple occasions too. He showed off Meta’s apps on a Galaxy S24 Ultra, and more recently was spotted with the same device during the launch of Meta’s latest smart glasses and VR headsets. When tech billionaires are choosing their personal daily drivers, they keep landing on Samsung. That says something.
Now, context matters here. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 launched into a market that’s suddenly a lot more interesting. Apple entering the foldable space is a big deal for consumers who were waiting on the sidelines, and it will absolutely pull some buyers. But Samsung has years of experience on foldables that Apple simply doesn’t have yet. The Fold lineup has gone through multiple generations of refinement, and the Fold 8 is the most polished version yet.
The fact that Huang reached for a Fold 8 specifically, in a public setting with cameras rolling, is the kind of organic endorsement money genuinely can’t buy. He wasn’t in a commercial. He was giving a speech at a gala. His phone just happened to be a Samsung foldable, and he was comfortable enough to hold it up in front of a crowd. That’s a real-world signal about where Samsung’s foldable reputation sits right now among people who could literally buy any phone they want.
For Samsung, the timing is good. The company is competing harder than ever to hold its position as the default choice for people who want a foldable that actually works. Moments like this, even if small, keep the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in the conversation at exactly the right time. And with Apple now in the mix, Samsung needs every edge it can get. A spontaneous co-flex from Jensen Huang and Jay Y. Lee on stage in New York? That’ll do.