Altman's Firm Stance
OpenAI's Chief Executive, Sam Altman, has publicly and unequivocally refuted claims of any discord with NVIDIA. In a clear statement shared on the social
media platform X (formerly Twitter), Altman expressed his strong satisfaction with NVIDIA's technological contributions, specifically highlighting their role in producing what he deems the world's premier AI chips. His remarks directly countered a recent report by Reuters that suggested OpenAI was actively exploring alternative chip suppliers due to dissatisfaction with NVIDIA's latest offerings. Altman's message conveyed a message of enduring partnership, stating, "We love working with NVIDIA, and they make the best AI chips in the world. We hope to be a gigantic customer for a very long time." He further expressed bewilderment at the origin of such speculative narratives, questioning, "I don't get where all this insanity is coming from."
Underlying Speculation
The surge of speculation regarding a potential rift between OpenAI and NVIDIA stemmed from a Reuters report that cited eight individuals familiar with the situation. These sources indicated that OpenAI had been looking for alternatives to NVIDIA's chips for some time, particularly in the inference chip market. This move was seen as a significant challenge to NVIDIA's prevailing dominance in the artificial intelligence hardware sector. The timing of these reports was particularly noteworthy, as both companies were reportedly in the midst of complex investment negotiations. NVIDIA had allegedly planned a substantial $100 billion investment in OpenAI, a move intended to secure an equity stake and help fund OpenAI's considerable chip acquisition needs. Although this deal was anticipated to conclude in the immediate future, reports suggested it had been postponed for several months.
NVIDIA CEO's Perspective
NVIDIA's CEO, Jensen Huang, also weighed in on the reports, characterizing the suggestions of his company's unhappiness with OpenAI as 'nonsense' during a conversation with reporters in Taiwan. He clarified that the widely reported $100 billion figure was never a definitive commitment from NVIDIA's side. Huang expressed his strong belief in OpenAI's mission and the groundbreaking work they are undertaking, referring to them as "one of the most consequential companies of our time." He reiterated his positive working relationship with Sam Altman and confirmed NVIDIA's intention to be a significant participant in OpenAI's fundraising efforts, stating, "Sam is closing the round, and we will absolutely be involved. We will invest a great deal of money, probably the largest investment we’ve ever made." However, when pressed about the $100 billion figure, Huang explicitly stated, "No, no, nothing like that," indicating that the final fundraising amount and structure would be determined by Altman.
Investment Deal Dynamics
Despite public affirmations of mutual support from both Sam Altman and Jensen Huang, the proposed investment deal between OpenAI and NVIDIA is experiencing structural shifts. Reports from the Wall Street Journal in January 2026 indicated that NVIDIA's potential $100 billion investment had encountered a standstill due to internal deliberations within NVIDIA regarding the deal's particulars. While this specific large-scale investment appears stalled, NVIDIA is still proceeding with a separate equity investment as part of OpenAI's broader initiative to secure $100 billion from various partners. Earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal had also mentioned that Amazon and SoftBank were in discussions to contribute tens of billions of dollars to this funding round. Internally, Huang has reportedly clarified that the initial $100 billion proposal was more of a non-binding indication of interest rather than a concrete agreement. Furthermore, Huang is said to have expressed reservations about OpenAI's business management practices and concerns regarding the intense competitive landscape they navigate, particularly from rivals like Google and Anthropic.
