Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) criticized Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang for declining an invitation to testify before the Senate Banking Committee, arguing that he should prioritize answering congressional questions over other engagements. The senator sought testimony on Nvidia's operations in China and the company's views on U.S. export controls governing advanced technology sales abroad. Warren's criticism follows a letter from Huang dated June 6, in which he stated he was "unable to attend" the hearing but expressed support for the committee's focus on AI and American competitiveness.

Warren Presses for Public Testimony

Warren had invited Huang to appear at a hearing titled "AI and the American Dream: Promoting Innovation, Affordability, and American Dominance." In a statement reported by CNBC, Warren emphasized that the American people deserve answers in a public forum. On X, Warren specifically targeted Huang's schedule, suggesting that if he had time to attend a $1 million-a-head dinner at Mar-a-Lago and meet with President Xi in China, he should be able to find time to answer questions from Congress.

Nvidia Defends Stance and Invites Visit

In his response to the committee, Huang highlighted Nvidia's long-standing role in the U.S. AI ecosystem. While declining the hearing invitation, the Nvidia chief invited Warren and other committee members to visit the company's headquarters in Santa Clara, California. "I would welcome the opportunity to host you, or any member of the Committee, at NVIDIA's headquarters in Santa Clara to discuss our technology, the American AI ecosystem and how we can support U.S. leadership," Huang wrote in the letter.

China Revenue Declines Amid Record Growth

Nvidia has repeatedly warned that stringent export restrictions could undermine U.S. competitiveness and drive customers toward foreign alternatives. The company's May quarterly filing revealed that revenue from customers headquartered in China, including Hong Kong, fell to $4.55 billion in the first quarter from $9.66 billion a year earlier. Despite this decline of about 53%, the chipmaker reported record first-quarter revenue of $81.6 billion, representing an 85% increase year over year.

Nvidia shares closed Monday up 1.73% at $208.64 and slipped 0.47% to $207.65 in after-hours trading.

Nvidia ranked No. 1 in The Wall Street Journal’s inaugural Best Companies for the Future list, finishing first or second in five of the six main categories. The chip maker took the top spot outright in AI readiness and corporate agility. Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Cisco Systems rounded out the top five, with technology companies claiming a third of the top 100 spots.

The data revealed a divergence among AI chip manufacturers. AMD ranked No. 16, scoring well on agility, innovation, and AI readiness. In contrast, Broadcom slumped to No. 110, weighed down by weak talent readiness, low resilience, and a sluggish software unit.

Delta Air Lines leads in talent readiness

Delta Air Lines ranked No. 1 in talent readiness, surpassing all technology giants. The airline finished No. 103 overall due to poor innovation and financial scores. Its top ranking in talent was driven by the methodology’s focus on Generation Z retention and work-from-home flexibility. Zoomers now make up roughly 30% of the U.S. workforce.

Methodology and market insights

The methodology, developed by Bendable Labs, did not explicitly factor in market capitalization when scoring the S&P 500. Kelly Tang, Bendable's chief data scientist, noted that the overlap with valuable companies aligns with how investors prize forward-looking metrics. Co-founder Rick Wartzman acknowledged that the index cannot easily track internal procedural efficiencies that drive long-term success.

Apple placed No. 12 overall but slipped to No. 56 on AI readiness, the worst showing among the Magnificent Seven. The report suggested Apple’s tendency to keep its AI strategy under wraps may have weighed on the score.

Prediction market traders give Nvidia a 67% chance of finishing 2026 as the world’s largest company by market cap. Alphabet follows at 15%, Apple at 13.2%, and SpaceX at 3.3%. The market on whether the AI bubble will burst by Dec. 31 sits at 23% YES on $2.87 million in volume, suggesting traders are pricing in tail risk to Nvidia’s $4.6 trillion valuation.