Asger Risom
Nvidia’s CEO says reports of tension with OpenAI are ‘nonsense’
Speculation about tension between Nvidia and OpenAI has been building for weeks. On Saturday, Nvidia’s chief executive moved to shut it down in blunt terms, while confirming the chipmaker plans to make its largest investment ever in the AI startup.
Speaking in Taipei, Jensen Huang insisted Nvidia remains firmly committed to OpenAI, even as negotiations over a massive funding round continue.
Rumors dismissed
Huang denied reports that he was unhappy with OpenAI, calling them “nonsense,” according to Reuters. The comments followed a Wall Street Journal report that said Nvidia’s previously discussed investment plans had stalled amid internal doubts.
“We are going to make a huge investment in OpenAI,” Huang told reporters. “I believe in OpenAI, the work that they do is incredible, they are one of the most consequential companies of our time.”
He added that he enjoys working with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and expects Nvidia to play a major role in the current fundraising round.
A deal in flux
Nvidia announced in September that it was considering investing up to $100 billion in OpenAI, a figure that drew widespread attention because of its sheer scale. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Huang had privately emphasized the figure was non-binding and never finalized.
According to the report, Huang had also raised concerns about OpenAI’s business discipline and the growing competition it faces from rivals such as Google and Anthropic. Huang did not address those specifics publicly on Saturday.
Asked whether Nvidia’s eventual investment would exceed $100 billion, Huang was clear. “No, no, nothing like that,” he said, adding that it would be up to Altman to announce the final size of the round.
A crowded funding race
OpenAI is seeking to raise up to $100 billion in total funding, valuing the company at about $830 billion, Reuters has reported. The fundraising has drawn interest from multiple tech giants and investors.
Amazon is in talks to invest as much as $50 billion in OpenAI, according to Reuters, while Microsoft, a longstanding backer, is also expected to participate at a smaller scale. Nvidia’s chips already power OpenAI’s AI models, making the relationship strategically critical for both sides.
The bigger picture
Huang was speaking after hosting a dinner in Taipei with Nvidia’s key suppliers, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Taiwanese media dubbed the gathering the “trillion-dollar dinner,” a nod to the combined market value of the companies involved.
As competition in artificial intelligence intensifies, Huang’s remarks suggest Nvidia has no intention of distancing itself from OpenAI. Instead, despite internal questions and external speculation, the company appears determined to deepen one of the most important partnerships in the AI industry.
Sources: Reuters, Wall Street Journal
