Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang denies friction with OpenAI

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang publicly refuted reports of tension between his company and OpenAI. Speaking on Saturday during a visit to Taipei, Huang dismissed the claims of friction between his company and OpenAI, characterizing the reports as “nonsense.” He confirmed that Nvidia will participate in the startup’s next funding round, noting that the company will invest a great deal of money because it represents a highly valuable investment.

The rebuttal follows a report published late Friday by The Wall Street Journal, which claimed that Nvidia was looking to scale back its investment in OpenAI. In September, the two companies announced a plan for Nvidia to invest up to $100 billion and build 10 gigawatts of computing infrastructure. However, the report indicated that Huang has privately criticized OpenAI’s business strategy and expressed concerns about competitors such as Anthropic and Google. Additionally, the report noted that Huang has emphasized the nonbinding nature of the deal—meaning a legal agreement that does not create a formal obligation.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that the two companies are rethinking their relationship, with recent discussions focusing on an equity investment of a mere tens of billions of dollars from Nvidia. In response to these reports, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that the companies are actively working through the details of their partnership. The spokesperson added that Nvidia’s technology has supported the startup’s breakthroughs from the start, powers its systems today, and will remain central as they scale what comes next.

While The Wall Street Journal reported in December that OpenAI is looking to raise a $100 billion funding round, Huang declined to specify the exact amount Nvidia would contribute. He stated that it is up to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to decide and announce the fundraising total. Beyond Nvidia, other potential investors discussing investments in OpenAI include Amazon, Microsoft, and SoftBank, according to a report from The New York Times. Huang reiterated his support for the startup, stating that he believes in OpenAI’s work and considers it one of the most consequential companies of our time.

Why it matters

Nvidia’s planned $100 billion commitment to OpenAI is a cornerstone of the current AI infrastructure boom. Huang’s public rebuttal aims to stabilize market confidence in the partnership despite reports of strategic disagreements.