TAIPEI, Jan 31 - Nvidia plans to make a "huge" investment in OpenAI, likely the largest the chipmaker has ever made, Chief Executive Jensen Huang said on Saturday, pushing back against reports that portrayed him as unhappy with the artificial intelligence company.
Huang reaffirmed Nvidia's commitment while speaking to reporters outside a Taipei restaurant after hosting the company's principal suppliers in Taiwan. He called it "nonsense" that he was displeased with OpenAI and expressed strong support for the team and its leadership.
"We are going to make a huge investment in OpenAI. I believe in OpenAI, the work that they do is incredible, they are one of the most consequential companies of our time and I really love working with Sam," Huang said, referring to OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman.
Huang said Altman is handling the process of closing the fundraising round and that Nvidia "will absolutely be involved." He added, "We will invest a great deal of money, probably the largest investment we’ve ever made." When asked if the commitment would exceed $100 billion, Huang replied, "No, no, nothing like that," and noted that it is Altman's decision to announce how much he intends to raise.
The exchange responds to reporting that the chipmaker's prior announcement in September - that it planned to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI - had encountered internal skepticism and that the agreement was non-binding and not finalized. That reporting said some within the company had questioned the deal and that Huang had privately criticized OpenAI's business discipline and expressed concern about competition from Alphabet's Google and Anthropic.
Huang directly rejected the characterization that he was unhappy. He said OpenAI's work is "incredible" and reiterated the company's intention to be a major investor in the financing round. He emphasized his positive working relationship with Sam Altman and framed Nvidia's participation as substantial and supportive.
The public remarks come amid wider reports about the size and composition of OpenAI's potential fundraising. Amazon has been reported to be in talks to invest tens of billions of dollars in OpenAI, with figures discussed as high as $50 billion. OpenAI is seeking up to $100 billion in funding and has been valued in reporting at about $830 billion.
Huang's comments were made after he hosted a gathering of Nvidia's key suppliers in Taiwan, an event described by local media as a "trillion-dollar dinner" in reference to the combined market capitalizations of attendees, which included the world's largest contract chipmaker, TSMC.
Context and next steps
Huang left the amount OpenAI will ultimately raise to Altman but made clear Nvidia intends to be a major participant. He rejected suggestions that the original $100 billion framework was final or that his relationship with OpenAI's leadership had soured.