The White House announced Thursday that six technology executives have been awarded the country's most prestigious science and technology honours by President Donald Trump. Musk, Brin, Huang and Su each received the National Medal of Science, while Dell and Nadella were presented with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The presentation took place at the Science: A New Golden Age Summit in Washington, where Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, appeared alongside the president.

Recognition of achievement

Musk's award recognises contributions to space exploration, intelligent systems, communications and American manufacturing. Brin was honoured for developing foundational algorithms used in information retrieval and data processing. Huang's citation acknowledges his role in transforming the graphics processing unit into a general-purpose computing architecture. Su's recognition highlights her work on processor architecture and chiplet-based integration, which enabled the world's first exascale supercomputer.

Dell's award credits him with advancing personal and enterprise computing and establishing a global technology enterprise. Nadella's citation points to Microsoft's transformation for the cloud era and the hyperscale infrastructure supporting what the administration terms "super intelligence"—its official designation for AI following a September executive order.

Innovators like these six awardees are the architects of the future

Michael Kratsios

The National Medal of Science has been awarded by presidents since 1963, with the technology medal following in 1985. Historically, the science medal has predominantly gone to academics and research scientists.

Trump's remarks

Trump referred to the group as "national treasures" and drew a parallel to his uncle, John Trump, an MIT professor who received the National Medal of Science in 1983. He characterised the moment as reflecting America's scientific leadership.

We live in an age of American wonders and technological marvels, and with the help of the brilliant men and women here today, we will always be on top

President Donald Trump

Trump described Musk as "our modern-day Thomas Edison". All six recipients have made financial contributions to Trump or Republican campaigns and causes.

Five of the six awardees were born outside the United States. Musk's birthplace is South Africa, Brin came from Russia, Huang and Su were born in Taiwan, and Nadella was born in India. Dell is the sole recipient born in the United States, specifically in Texas.

I was an immigrant, and my parents brought us here to pursue the American dream

Jensen Huang

Timing and Microsoft's suspension

The medal ceremony occurred just hours after Vice President JD Vance announced that the Labor Department had suspended Microsoft from the PERM programme, which represents the initial stage in sponsoring foreign workers for permanent residency. When questioned about the timing of this suspension, Vance offered reassurance about the administration's relationship with the company.

We're going to continue to support Microsoft and have a great relationship with Microsoft

Vice President JD Vance

Both Nadella and Dell expressed gratitude to Trump via posts on X. Dell highlighted that he established his company 42 years prior with $1,000 invested from his dormitory room.

I'm humbled to stand alongside so many giants of American innovation

Satya Nadella

AI industry commitments

During the same summit, artificial intelligence companies announced $2.4 billion in credits and AI tools for federal science initiatives. Nvidia alone committed $1 billion to this effort.

These recipients are helping ensure America keeps leading the world in innovation

White House spokesperson Liz Huston

Source: The Next Web