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

Nvidia is in talks to invest up to $30 billion in OpenAI as part of a round table which could enhance artificial intelligence startup at a pre-money valuation of $730 billion, CNBC confirmed.

The investment is distinct from 100 billion dollars infrastructure deal 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 stage, the person said.

The September announcement, which shook the technology sector and triggered a wave of subsequent infrastructure agreementsdescribed a structure in which Nvidia would invest in OpenAI over several years by bringing new supercomputing facilities online. A source told CNBC at the time that Nvidia’s first $10 billion investment would be rolled out when its first gigawatt was completed.

Nvidia’s $30 billion investment in OpenAI is different from what was envisioned 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 details are still subject to change, the person said. THE Financial Times was the first to report the potential investment.

Nvidia declined to comment.

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

Nvidia previously said in its November quarterly financial report that there was “no guarantee that we will enter into definitive agreements regarding the OpenAI opportunity or other potential investments.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tried to dismiss concerns about the deal by writing in an article on X that the company loves working with Nvidia and that he doesn’t “understand where all this madness is coming from.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also addressed the potential divide during an interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer earlier this month, and he said there was “no doubt” 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. Talks have accelerated in recent weeks, but they have not been finalized.

The startup’s financing cycle could close in two parts, starting with investments from strategic companies like Amazon, Microsoft And Nvidiaas CNBC previously reported. Further contributions from a broader pool of investors would follow.

WATCH: Watch the full CNBC interview with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman