Nvidia is in talks to invest up to $30 billion in OpenAI, source says

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 a $730 billion pre-money valuation, CNBC has confirmed.

The investment is separate from the $100 billion infrastructure agreement that OpenAI and Nvidia announced in September, according to a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the discussions are confidential. The $30 billion is not tied to any deployment milestones, the person said.

The September announcement, which rocked the tech sector and sparked a flurry of subsequent infrastructure deals, 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.

Nvidia’s $30 billion investment in OpenAI is different from what was contemplated in September, but the company could still decide to invest in subsequent rounds that align with that framework, the person said.

The $30 deal is not final and the details are still subject to change, the person said. The Financial Times was first to report the potential investment.

Nvidia declined to comment.

Questions about the status of OpenAI and Nvidia’s $100 billion infrastructure agreement have been swirling in recent months, particularly after the Wall Street Journal reported in January that the deal was “on ice.”

Nvidia had previously said in its quarterly financial report in November that there was “no assurance that we will enter into definitive agreements with respect to the OpenAI opportunity or other potential investments.” 

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.

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.

WATCH: Watch CNBC’s full interview with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman