Nvidia is in Talks to Invest Up to $30 Billion in OpenAI

calendar Feb 20, 2026 · 3 min read · nvidia openai investment ai chipmaker partnership  ·
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Nvidia invests up to $30 billion in OpenAI

Nvidia May Invest Up to $30 Billion in OpenAI in Historic Funding Round

Nvidia is in discussions to invest up to $30 billion in OpenAI as part of a funding round that could value the artificial intelligence startup at $730 billion pre-money, CNBC has confirmed. The investment would represent one of the largest private capital raises in history and mark a significant shift in the relationship between the chip giant and its largest customer.

Investment Separate from Previous Agreement

The $30 billion investment is separate from the $100 billion infrastructure agreement that OpenAI and Nvidia announced in September 2025, according to a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the discussions are confidential. At the time, that announcement “rocked the tech sector” and sparked a flurry of subsequent infrastructure deals.

The September framework outlined a structure where Nvidia would invest in OpenAI over several years as it brought new supercomputing facilities online. A source told CNBC at the time that Nvidia’s first investment of $10 billion would be deployed when its first gigawatt was completed.

However, questions about the status of OpenAI and Nvidia’s $100 billion infrastructure agreement have been swirling in recent months. The Wall Street Journal reported in January that the deal was “on ice.” In its quarterly financial report in November, Nvidia said there was “no assurance that we will enter into definitive agreements with respect to the OpenAI opportunity or other potential investments.”

Nvidia CEO Confirms Intent to Invest

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tried to shrug off concerns about the deal, writing in a post on X that the company loves working with Nvidia, and that he doesn’t “get where all this insanity is coming from.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also addressed the potential rift during an interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer earlier this month, and he said there was “no question” that the company would invest in OpenAI’s next funding round.

Massive Funding Round

OpenAI is also engaging in fundraising discussions with other investors, and the total round could close at around $100 billion, as CNBC previously reported. The talks have accelerated in recent weeks, but they have not been finalized.

The startup’s funding round could close in two parts, beginning with investments from strategics like Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia, as CNBC previously reported. Other contributions from a broader pool of investors would follow.

Strategic Significance

A $30 billion investment from Nvidia in OpenAI would represent a significant strategic move, further cementing the relationship between the world’s largest AI chipmaker and one of the most valuable companies in the sector. Nvidia provides the hardware (GPUs) that powers OpenAI’s AI models, while OpenAI represents one of Nvidia’s largest customers.

The investment could also help OpenAI fund its infrastructure expansion and model development, while giving Nvidia a direct stake in OpenAI’s ongoing success beyond its vendor-customer relationship.

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