Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. CEO Lisa Su once revealed that her path to leading one of the world’s biggest chipmakers wasn’t carefully mapped out but shaped by curiosity, unexpected opportunities and a part-time job that changed everything.
Lisa Su Says A Chance MIT Job Sparked Her Passion For Semiconductors
Speaking on View From The Top: The Podcast in February 2025, Su reflected on the unlikely series of events that led her into the semiconductor industry, saying careers often evolve through unexpected opportunities rather than meticulous planning.
“Careers are very much by chance,” Su said. “I’d like to think that you planned everything out minute by minute, but it’s usually not like that.”
Don’t Miss:
Su traced her fascination with engineering back to childhood, recalling how she was always eager to understand how things worked.
She remembered watching her brother’s remote-controlled toy car stop working and wondering why, a curiosity that eventually steered her toward studying math and science before enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
But the defining moment came during her freshman year, when she was simply searching for a part-time job.
How A Bunny Suit And Cleanroom Lab Changed Lisa Su’s Career
Su said she landed a job in a semiconductor laboratory, where she wore a cleanroom “bunny suit” and performed what she described as “grunt work” for a graduate student by helping run experiments.
Despite the routine nature of the work, she was captivated by the idea that an incredibly small chip could pack so much computing power.
“That’s kind of how I fell in love with semiconductors,” she said, adding that the experience ultimately shaped both her undergraduate and graduate studies.
Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your ‘Safe’ Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time
Why The AMD CEO Chose Industry Over Academia
After earning bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from MIT, Su said she considered a career in academia but ultimately decided industry was a better fit.
She explained that she enjoyed building products people could actually see and use—from consumer devices on retail shelves to chips powering some of the world’s largest supercomputers—rather than focusing solely on academic research.
Su later built her career through roles at Texas Instruments, IBM and Freescale Semiconductor before becoming AMD’s CEO, crediting continuous learning and on-the-job experience for helping her transition from engineer to leader.
“The beauty of career development is when you get a chance to try something new and learn,” she said.
See Also: Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier.
The AMD Transformation Under Lisa Su
Su, whose net worth is estimated at $2.9 billion, according to Forbes, was born in Tainan, Taiwan, in 1969 and moved to New York City with her family at age 3.
The daughter of a mathematician and a bookkeeper who later became an entrepreneur, she would go on to become one of the most influential figures in the global semiconductor industry.
When Su took over as CEO of AMD in October 2014, the chipmaker was valued at roughly $2 billion, and its shares traded at about $3.28 apiece.
Since then, AMD has undergone a dramatic transformation, with the stock climbing above $500 per share and the company’s market capitalization surpassing $844 billion, cementing its position as one of the world’s most valuable semiconductor companies.
Photo Courtesy: jamesonwu1972 on Shutterstock.com
Read Next: Think you’re saving enough for your kids? You might be dangerously off — see why
Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market
Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.
Arrived
Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.
FarmTogether
Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.
Fundrise
Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.
Realberry
Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U.S. states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests.
Immersed
Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.
BluSky AI
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is creating significant demand for data centers, power, and compute infrastructure. BluSky AI is building modular AI data centers designed to support next-generation AI workloads while aiming to reduce deployment timelines compared to traditional facilities. For investors looking beyond AI software and applications, the company offers exposure to the infrastructure layer that makes artificial intelligence possible.
Miso Robotics
Robotics and automation are becoming increasingly important tools for businesses facing labor shortages and rising operating costs. Miso Robotics develops AI-powered kitchen technology that is already being deployed in restaurant environments, with products designed to help operators improve efficiency and streamline operations. As artificial intelligence expands beyond software and into real-world applications, the company is positioning itself at the intersection of robotics, automation and the future of food service.
Vinovest
Fine wine and rare whiskey have historically moved independently of the stock market, making them a compelling alternative asset. Vinovest manages authenticated, insured portfolios of investment-grade wine and whiskey starting at $5,000 — sourcing, storage, and insurance all handled for you.
EquityMultiple
For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.
Mode Mobile
Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.
© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.