Nvidia
Hamas hostage is greeted with a joke by his employer
The Israelis waited eagerly for the Hamas hostages for over two years. Among these was Avinatan Or, who was warmly welcomed by his employer on his return home.
Avinatan Or is probably experiencing the most emotional days of his life. He was held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for 738 days. On Monday, the terrorist organization finally released him along with 19 other survivors. This was preceded by an agreement with Israel.
Back in Israel, it wasn’t just his girlfriend Noa Argamani who was happy. The couple celebrated together at the Nova festival on October 7, 2023, before the terrorists kidnapped both of them. Images of the young woman being dragged onto a motorcycle by Islamists and desperately reaching out to her partner, who was also being held by Hamas fighters, went around the world.
But both survived and celebrated a touching reunion on Monday.
“I hope you have a good excuse”
His employer, the technology group Nvidia, was also happy about Or’s return – and welcomed him with a humorous message. Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang had previously announced to employees that Or had survived. “I am deeply moved and grateful to be able to inform you that our colleague Avinatan Or was handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza a few moments ago,” Huang wrote to employees on Monday. “After two unimaginable years in Hamas captivity, Avinatan has returned home.”
This was followed by a manager’s public reaction, which was celebrated by many on social media. “I hope you have a good excuse for not showing up at Nvidia for 738 days,” wrote manager Eddie Goldenberg humorously. For two years, the company reminded people of its captivity every week, said the AI expert. “How wonderful that you are home again.”
Or has a “great girlfriend” who has been waiting for him, loving parents and an employer who cares about him. And Goldenberg delivered some more positive news: “I have some pretty good news about how your stocks have performed over the last two years.”
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The American company is the market leader in the development of high-performance chips. As part of the AI boom, Nvidia became the most valuable company in the world because its high-performance chips are needed for AI applications.
Group employees receive a 15 percent employee discount on their own shares. According to an internal survey from 2024, this is said to have made three-quarters of the workforce millionaires.
Hostages are closely cared for
Even if the company shares may not be Or’s first concern, the financial cushion will help him get back to everyday life in the long term. After their return, former hostages receive close care in Israel and are looked after by specialists for as long as necessary.
All surviving hostages returned to Israel this week. Hamas continues to hold the bodies of 24 hostages, which were due to be returned on Monday under the agreed terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Sources: , , , with information from the news agencies DPA and AFP
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Source: Stern
