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Tuesday, Feb 03, 2026
Outside the box.
Nvidia Puts $100 Billion OpenAI Investment Plan on Hold While Keeping Door Open to Major Funding Round
Jensen Huang says the headline figure was never binding, raises concerns about OpenAI’s internal discipline, and signals a sizeable but phased commitment instead
Nvidia has paused its earlier plan to invest up to one hundred billion dollars in OpenAI after senior executives at the chipmaker raised doubts about the proposed arrangement, according to recent reporting and public comments by Nvidia’s chief executive, Jensen Huang.
Speaking to journalists in Taiwan, Huang said the figure discussed last year was not a firm obligation and should not be treated as a settled commitment.
He described the proposal as an invitation from OpenAI rather than a binding agreement, adding that Nvidia would proceed “one step at a time” rather than on the scale suggested in the original headline number.
The investment concept was unveiled in September as part of a broader partnership in which Nvidia capital would support OpenAI’s build-out of large data-centre infrastructure designed around Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips.
Subsequent reporting has indicated the discussions never reached a final, executable deal and that negotiations remained at an early stage, with progress slowing rather than advancing toward quick completion.
People familiar with the talks have said Huang has, in private discussions over recent months, criticised what he viewed as a lack of internal discipline at OpenAI and expressed unease about intensifying competition in the sector, including from major technology rivals.
OpenAI, for its part, has said teams on both sides remain actively engaged on partnership details and has emphasised that Nvidia’s technology has been central to its breakthroughs from the earliest stages and will remain core as it scales.
Despite shelving the earlier framework, Nvidia is still expected to participate meaningfully in OpenAI’s current fundraising effort.
OpenAI is reported to be seeking an investment round that could total around one hundred billion dollars at an implied valuation of roughly seven hundred and fifty billion dollars, with large backers such as SoftBank and Amazon also expected to be involved at substantial levels.
Huang has indicated Nvidia’s contribution in that round would be significant and could rank among the largest investments the company has ever made, while remaining structured as a phased commitment rather than a single, all-at-once pledge.
Speaking to journalists in Taiwan, Huang said the figure discussed last year was not a firm obligation and should not be treated as a settled commitment.
He described the proposal as an invitation from OpenAI rather than a binding agreement, adding that Nvidia would proceed “one step at a time” rather than on the scale suggested in the original headline number.
The investment concept was unveiled in September as part of a broader partnership in which Nvidia capital would support OpenAI’s build-out of large data-centre infrastructure designed around Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips.
Subsequent reporting has indicated the discussions never reached a final, executable deal and that negotiations remained at an early stage, with progress slowing rather than advancing toward quick completion.
People familiar with the talks have said Huang has, in private discussions over recent months, criticised what he viewed as a lack of internal discipline at OpenAI and expressed unease about intensifying competition in the sector, including from major technology rivals.
OpenAI, for its part, has said teams on both sides remain actively engaged on partnership details and has emphasised that Nvidia’s technology has been central to its breakthroughs from the earliest stages and will remain core as it scales.
Despite shelving the earlier framework, Nvidia is still expected to participate meaningfully in OpenAI’s current fundraising effort.
OpenAI is reported to be seeking an investment round that could total around one hundred billion dollars at an implied valuation of roughly seven hundred and fifty billion dollars, with large backers such as SoftBank and Amazon also expected to be involved at substantial levels.
Huang has indicated Nvidia’s contribution in that round would be significant and could rank among the largest investments the company has ever made, while remaining structured as a phased commitment rather than a single, all-at-once pledge.
