A Decade in the Making: Huang and Altman Seal Historic $100B AI Partnership

Reflecting on a relationship that has defined the modern AI era, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have sealed a historic partnership, capping a decade of collaboration with a potential $100 billion deal. Huang noted that the two companies “have pushed each other for a decade, from the first DGX supercomputer to the breakthrough of ChatGPT,” framing this new venture as the culmination of that journey.
This new agreement will see Nvidia invest up to $100 billion to construct a state-of-the-art, 10-gigawatt AI infrastructure exclusively for OpenAI. The goal is to provide the raw power needed for the next wave of AI innovation, including the ambitious pursuit of “super-intelligence.” It’s a transition from an informal alliance to a deeply integrated financial and technological partnership.
In exchange for its massive investment, Nvidia will acquire an equity stake in OpenAI, binding their fortunes together. The investment structure is pragmatic, with the first $10 billion to be paid out upon the activation of the first gigawatt of power. This ensures that capital is deployed alongside tangible progress.
Sam Altman echoed the sentiment of a shared destiny, stating, “Everything starts with compute.” He envisions the joint infrastructure as the foundation for a new economy driven by artificial intelligence, a vision now backed by the full might of the world’s leading chipmaker. The deal aims to solve OpenAI’s persistent compute shortages once and for all.
The first phase of this landmark project is set to launch in the latter half of 2026, utilizing Nvidia’s upcoming Vera Rubin platform. This agreement is more than a transaction; it’s a testament to a long-standing, mutually beneficial relationship that has consistently pushed the boundaries of technology and is now poised to define its future.