SEOUL — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang surprised T1 superstar Lee Sang-hyeok, known globally as Faker, with a one-of-a-kind GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card during a visit to the team’s base camp in Seoul on Friday, calling the signed collector’s item potentially worth $1 million.
The high-profile meeting highlighted Nvidia’s deep appreciation for South Korea’s thriving eSports culture and its longstanding relationship with elite gamers who have driven demand for cutting-edge graphics technology. Huang presented the flagship next-generation card, featuring autographs from both himself and Faker, as a special edition with no other copies existing worldwide.
“Game was Nvidia’s starting point,” Huang told T1 players at a PC bang near Hongik University in Mapo-gu. He praised Korean gamers for choosing the best GPUs in pursuit of victory, stating that this preference helped establish Nvidia’s dominance in the market.
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Huang described South Korea as “the optimal market for eSports” and expressed admiration for the competitive spirit of local players. The RTX 5090 gift, unveiled publicly for the first time alongside Faker, became an instant symbol of the intersection between gaming excellence and technological innovation.
After the presentation, Huang handed the card to Faker and posed for commemorative photos. He also engaged warmly with fans at the venue, shaking hands and taking selfies with those who had gathered to see him. In a lighthearted moment, Huang jokingly referred to the GeForce RTX 4070 as an “antique” when discussing hardware used by regular gamers.
Strengthening Ties With Korean Gaming and Business Leaders
The visit to T1, one of the world’s most successful eSports organizations, underscores Nvidia’s commitment to the gaming sector, which Huang noted served as the company’s foundational market. Faker, widely regarded as one of the greatest League of Legends players of all time, has led T1 to multiple world championships and remains a cultural icon in South Korea.
Later in the evening, Huang joined a “samso” dinner — a casual gathering featuring samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) and soju — with top South Korean business leaders at a restaurant in the Hongdae area. Attendees included SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Chung Eui-sun was unable to attend due to a conflicting schedule.
The dinner provided an opportunity for Huang to deepen personal and professional relationships with key figures in Korea’s tech and industrial sectors, following earlier discussions on AI infrastructure, memory chips and robotics collaborations.
Nvidia’s Growing Influence in Korea
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Huang’s trip to Seoul reflects Nvidia’s strategic focus on the Korean market, home to major partners like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which supply critical high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips essential for Nvidia’s AI GPUs. The country’s robust eSports ecosystem, advanced semiconductor industry and enthusiastic gamer community make it a vital hub for the company’s gaming and AI ambitions.
During the T1 visit, Huang emphasized how Korean players’ pursuit of competitive advantage helped shape Nvidia’s product development. By choosing top-tier GPUs, gamers contributed to the feedback loop that drives innovation in graphics technology.
The special RTX 5090 gifted to Faker is expected to generate significant buzz in the gaming community. As a signed, one-of-a-kind piece, its collector value could indeed approach or exceed the $1 million mark Huang suggested, especially given the cultural significance of both the recipient and the donor.
Faker’s Enduring Legacy
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Lee Sang-hyeok, known as Faker, has dominated the League of Legends scene for over a decade. His mechanical skill, strategic insight and sportsmanship have earned him millions of fans worldwide and multiple world championship titles with T1. Meeting Huang and receiving such a unique gift adds another memorable chapter to his storied career.
T1 players and staff expressed excitement over the visit, which provided a rare opportunity to interact with one of the tech industry’s most influential figures. The event also highlighted the growing synergy between traditional sports, eSports and technology companies.
Broader Context of Nvidia’s Asia Strategy
Huang’s activities in Seoul follow a busy week of product announcements and partnership initiatives. Nvidia continues to expand its footprint in AI supercomputing, autonomous driving and robotics, with South Korean firms playing key roles in the supply chain.
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The CEO’s approachable style — engaging directly with gamers and business leaders alike — has helped humanize the company’s image while reinforcing its technological leadership. Previous visits and collaborations have yielded tangible results, including accelerated adoption of Nvidia hardware in data centers and gaming platforms across the region.
Industry observers see the T1 visit as a strategic move to strengthen brand loyalty in the gaming community while opening doors for deeper enterprise-level partnerships. As AI and gaming increasingly overlap through technologies like real-time ray tracing and AI upscaling, Nvidia aims to maintain its dominant position.
Cultural and Economic Significance
South Korea’s eSports industry is a global powerhouse, generating significant economic value and national pride. Events like Huang’s meeting with Faker bridge the worlds of Silicon Valley innovation and Korean digital culture, fostering goodwill and potential future collaborations.
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Fans reacted enthusiastically online, with many praising the thoughtful gesture and expressing envy toward Faker’s exclusive hardware. The moment is likely to be widely shared and remembered within the gaming community for years to come.
As Huang concluded his public engagements in Seoul before the business dinner, the day exemplified successful cross-cultural engagement between a leading American tech executive and Korea’s vibrant tech and gaming scenes.
Nvidia’s continued investment in the region, combined with high-profile gestures like the RTX 5090 gift, positions the company favorably amid intense global competition in AI and semiconductors. For Faker and T1, the encounter adds prestige and excitement heading into future competitions.
The special graphics card gifted to one of gaming’s greatest legends serves as a tangible symbol of respect for the players who helped build the modern gaming industry. As both Nvidia and eSports continue evolving, such moments highlight the human connections driving technological progress.
Black Cat Syndicate Limited (BLCAF) Q4 2026 Earnings Call July 29, 2026 9:00 PM EDT
Company Participants
James Bruce – MD & Director Nicholas Dwyer – Chief Financial Officer
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Conference Call Participants
Stewart Walters Richard Knights – Barrenjoey Markets Pty Limited, Research Division Paul Hissey – MA Moelis Australia Securities, Research Division
Presentation
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Stewart Walters
Hello, and welcome to MarketOpen Direct Connect. I’m your host, Stuart Walters, and we’re joined here today by James Bruce, Managing Director; and Nick Dwyer, Chief Financial Officer of Black Cat Syndicate, ASX code BC8. James and Nick will discuss the company’s fourth quarter financial year 2026 quarterly and activities results and participate in a live Q&A post presentation. [Operator Instructions] A copy of this webinar will be available on MarketOpen and Black Cat’s communication channels within the next 24 hours. James, Nick, welcome to Direct Connect, and over to you.
James Bruce MD & Director
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Thanks, Stuart, and welcome, everybody. Thanks for joining us today. Black Cat’s had a successful year of ramping up production and very pleased to present these results to you. We produced 91,000 ounces in the year. We’ve got $105 million cash on the balance sheet, no debt and no hedging. The company since we listed has increased in share price 19% per annum. And the — I’m pleased to — for those of you who don’t know the company, I’ll just give a quick snapshot.
We’ve got 2 assets in production at Paulsens and Kal East. These hubs have ramped up well over the last 1.5 years. Kal East is continuing to ramp up. At our Coyote project, we’re drilling at the moment. And we’ve also got the Mt Clement Critical Minerals project, which is near to Paulsens. During the June quarter, some of the highlights were that we processed 428,000 tonnes of ore to produce 20,800 ounces
The committee of five women and four men will announce their latest interest rate decision at 12:00 BST, with a hold the widespread expectation.
The Bank rate is the MPC’s primary tool for maintaining the rate of rising prices – inflation – at a target of 2%.
The latest official figures show inflation in the UK was 2.6% in the year to June, down slightly on the previous month but still above its 2.3% target.
The inflation rate is likely to go up in July, as millions of households in Scotland, England and Wales feel the impact of a 13% rise in domestic energy prices.
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The increase was the result of the impact of the Iran war on wholesale energy prices.
Conflict in the Gulf, and uncertainty over the chances of a lasting truce, hang over the MPC’s meeting and decision this month and in the months ahead.
Many analysts expect interest rates to be unchanged in the foreseeable future, with the possibility of the next change being a rise.
“A new government finding its feet, and the situation in the Middle East becoming increasingly uncertain, mean that a hold on [the] base rate decision would be a welcome dose of stability,” said Katie Horne, from savings platform Flagstone.
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“People have had more than enough uncertainty over the past year, and even a temporary pause eases the pressure a little.”
Shell’s profits for the second quarter of the year have more than doubled after the Iran war pushed up oil prices.
The oil giant’s profits for the April-to-June period reached $9.84bn (£7.37bn) – up from $4.26bn at the same point last year.
The price of oil has soared since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran due to major disruption to global supplies of oil and liquid natural gas (LNG) through the Strait of Hormuz.
Shell chief executive Wael Sawan said the company’s “operational performance enabled very strong results during another quarter of severe disruption in global energy markets”.
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Together with its profits of $6.92bn for the first three months of the year it means Shell has seen a 70% surge in first-half earnings.
Shell and other energy giants such as BP and Norway’s Equinor have seen bumper profits this year, partly down to trading on oil price swings.
Before the conflict began, the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, was around $73 a barrel.
Since then, it has peaked above $120 but also fallen back below $100 as speculation has swirled over when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.
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These big movements in the oil price can widen the gap between buying and selling prices which typically enables traders to make bigger profits.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to Pulmonx’ Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today’s conference is being recorded. I would like now to turn the call over to Webb Campbell, Investor Relations. Please go ahead.
Webb Campbell Gilmartin Group LLC
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Good afternoon, and thank you for joining today’s call. Joining me from Pulmonx are Glen French, President and Chief Executive Officer; and Derrick Sung, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Earlier today, Pulmonx issued a press release announcing its financial results for the quarter-ended June 30, 2026. A copy of the press release is available on the Pulmonx website.
Before we begin, I’d like to remind you that management will make statements during this call that include forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements contained in this call that relate to expectations or predictions of future events, results or performance are forward-looking statements.
All forward-looking statements, including, without limitations, those related to our operating trends, commercial strategies and future financial performance including long-term outlook and full year 2026 guidance, the timing and results of clinical trials, physician engagement, expense management, market opportunity, guidance for revenue, gross margin, operating expense, cash usage, commercial expansion and product demand, adoption and pipeline development are based upon our current estimates and various
State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has raised Rs 4,691 crore by selling Tier 1 bonds to domestic investors at a coupon rate of 7.75%. This is the bank’s first Basel III compliant Additional Tier 1 bond for the current financial year.The bonds have a five year call option when SBI can buy back the bond and with each anniversary date thereafter, the bank said.
As oil prices surged, treasury yields took notice, raising inflation worries in the market. Traders are keeping a watchful eye on the Federal Reserve’s expected decision to maintain interest rates today. Nonetheless, traders are fully anticipating a hike in September, with a solid possibility of another increase before the year’s end.
SBI chairman C S Setty, said that the bond attracted a wide participation of investors with did kinds bids demonstrating the trust investors place in the country’s largest bank.
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“This issue attracted a robust response from investors with bids of more than 2 times against the base issue size of Rs 3,000 crores. The total number of bids received was 89 indicating participation from diverse set of qualified institutional bidders. The investors were across provident funds, pension funds, mutual funds, banks etc,” SBI said in a statement. Based on the response, SBI accepted Rs 4,691 crore at a coupon rate of 7.75% payable annually. The bonds are rated AA+ with stable outlook from Crisil and Care Ratings.
Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter who won an Academy Award for the song “Falling Slowly” and fronted the rock band the Frames for more than three decades, died early Wednesday in a motorcycle crash near his native Dublin. He was 56.
Irish police said a man in his 50s died following a single-vehicle motorcycle collision in the west of Dublin, on the R109 Lower Road between Tinkers Hill and Rugged Lane. Emergency services were alerted to the crash shortly before 4:30 a.m. local time. The motorcyclist was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later, according to a police statement, which also appealed for any witnesses to come forward.
Hansard’s management company, ATC Management, confirmed his death in a statement. “With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard who passed away, in the early hours of this morning, following a road traffic accident in Dublin,” the statement said. “Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time. The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene.”
Born and raised in Dublin, Hansard left school at 13 to begin busking on the streets of the Irish capital before forming the Frames in 1990. The band became a fixture of the Irish rock scene over more than three decades, with Hansard as its frontman and primary songwriter throughout. He later released a series of successful solo albums, including 2012’s “Rhythm and Repose” and 2015’s “Didn’t He Ramble,” the latter of which earned a Grammy Award nomination for best folk album.
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Hansard’s international breakthrough came through film rather than music alone. He had his first notable acting role playing a member of a Dublin soul band in the 1991 movie “The Commitments,” directed by Alan Parker. That early acting experience helped position him for the role that would define his career to a global audience: the lead in the 2007 independent film “Once,” directed and written by his friend and former Frames bassist John Carney.
“Once” followed a struggling Dublin street musician who falls in love with a young Czech immigrant, played by Markéta Irglová, with whom Hansard also formed the musical duo the Swell Season. The film, shot on a modest budget using handheld cameras, became a critical and commercial success. Hansard and Irglová wrote and performed all of the movie’s original music, including its centerpiece duet, “Falling Slowly,” which won the Academy Award for best original song at the 80th Academy Awards in 2008.
Accepting the Oscar alongside Irglová from presenter John Travolta, a visibly stunned Hansard told the audience, “What are we doing here? This is mad.” The moment became one of the more memorable acceptance speeches in Academy Awards history, capturing the improbability of a low-budget Irish film about two street musicians earning Hollywood’s top honor for original song.
Hansard’s road to the role was itself unconventional. Irish actor Cillian Murphy had originally been cast to star alongside Irglová, but when he withdrew from the project, Carney turned to Hansard, who had already composed the film’s music. Hansard later recalled that Murphy had reservations about some of the songs he had written for the project, a detail Hansard shared with characteristic humor in later interviews about the film’s origins.
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A stage adaptation of “Once” later opened on Broadway, where it won eight Tony Awards, including best musical, further extending the reach and legacy of the story Hansard had helped create.
News of Hansard’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans and public figures across Ireland and beyond. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he was deeply saddened to learn of the musician’s passing. “A talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years,” Martin wrote on social media. “My sincere sympathies to his family, friends, and fans.”
Fans shared memories of Hansard’s music and performances across social media platforms throughout the day, with many recalling his decades of busking, touring and songwriting that predated his Oscar win and continued long after it, as he remained an active and beloved figure within Ireland’s music community.
Hansard is survived by a young son, who was 3 years old at the time of his father’s death. Details regarding funeral or memorial arrangements had not been announced as of Wednesday afternoon, with his family requesting privacy in the immediate aftermath of his death.
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Hansard’s career spanned more than three decades, from his earliest days busking on Dublin’s streets as a teenager to international recognition as an Academy Award-winning musician and actor. His influence on Irish music, and on the broader tradition of singer-songwriters blending intimate, personal storytelling with folk and rock instrumentation, is expected to be remembered as a defining part of his legacy in the days and weeks ahead as tributes continue to emerge from collaborators, fellow musicians and fans around the world.
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