When three billionaires walked into a bar and bought everyone beer and chicken

On an unassuming Thursday evening in Seoul, three of Asia’s most powerful men walked into a fried-chicken restaurant and changed the night for everyone inside. Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia; Lee Jae-yong, the chairman of Samsung Electronics; and Chung Eui-sun, the executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group, shared a dinner of fried chicken and beer, and ended up buying everyone a free dinner.

A quiet table in Gangnam

It was just after 7:20 p.m. on 30 May when the trio stepped into Kkanbu Chicken, a modest but popular fried chicken franchise located in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, not far from the bustling Samseong Station. The dinner came on the eve of the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, with Huang visiting South Korea for the first time in 15 years. There was no sign of the usual entourage or formality one might expect from corporate royalty.

Inside, they took a table by the window, dressed simply, Huang in a black short-sleeved T-shirt, Lee in a white full sleeve, and Chung in a white short-sleeved shirt. Their casual appearance drew double-takes from diners who gradually realised who was sitting among them.According to The Korea Daily, the trio’s table was soon filled with three styles of fried chicken, crispy boneless, crunchy six-pack, and sweet boneless, accompanied by cheese sticks and cheese balls served on the house.

Their drinks included draft beer, bottles of Terra beer, and Chamisul soju, a mix locals affectionately call “Tesla.” When Huang noticed a so-maek (soju and beer) tower bubbling at a neighbouring table, Lee explained how it worked. The three men laughed, lifted their glasses, and linked arms for a “love shot,” a common gesture of friendship and respect in South Korea. Their toast quickly became the image of the evening, captured by phones and local reporters already crowding the front.

A bell, a crowd, and a bill

Outside, news of the billionaires’ visit spread rapidly. Around 500 people, including reporters, passers-by, and police officers maintaining order, gathered outside the restaurant. As diners inside began to cheer, someone shouted, “Treat us all!” Lee smiled and replied, “I’ll pay for everything today.” The crowd started chanting Huang’s name instead. Laughing, he responded, “These guys have lots of money.” Chung joined in, saying, “I’ll cover the second round.” Then Huang reached for the golden bell hanging near the counter, a Kkanbu tradition signalling a “free dinner,” and rang it. The restaurant erupted. But according to Yonhap News Agency, it was Lee Jae-yong who ultimately covered the bill for everyone dining inside, while Chung Eui-sun paid for the following round. The total came to about 2.5 million won, roughly US $1,800. Huang later stepped outside carrying baskets of fried chicken, French fries, and banana milk, handing them out to the crowd. “The chicken wings were so good,” he said. “Have you been here before? It’s incredible, right?”

It was a rare public moment of lightness for three men whose companies together shape much of Asia’s economic and technological landscape.

Who’s who at the chimaek table

Between them, the billionaires’ estimated combined fortune stands at around $195 billion, according to national outlets.

Huang’s net worth, driven by Nvidia’s market surge, is believed to be over $143 billion (197 trillion won). Lee Jae-yong’s holdings are valued near 22.3 trillion won, while Chung’s assets are roughly 5.6 trillion won, reported The Korea Daily. To commemorate the dinner, Huang brought gifts: a bottle of Suntory Hakushu 25-year-old single malt whisky and an Nvidia DGX AI system, both engraved with the message, “To our partnership and future of the world,” according to The Korea Herald. Their table, simple as it looked, represented the backbone of modern Asian industry: semiconductors, automobiles, and artificial intelligence, all clinking glasses under fluorescent lights and a signboard of fried chicken.

From bar to boardroom: the APEC connection

The night at Kkanbu wasn’t just three friends sharing chicken; it was a prelude to bigger conversations about technology and power. The following day at the APEC Summit, Huang met South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung and announced that Nvidia would provide more than 260,000 graphics-processing units to Korean firms, including those led by his dining companions. According to the presidential office, Nvidia will collaborate with Samsung, Hyundai, Naver, and SK to advance “physical AI,” developing systems for robotics and autonomous vehicles. The pledge came as the United States and China continue to debate access to advanced AI chips, the very hardware that helped push Nvidia’s valuation near $5 trillion.