Nvidia says it has committed over $40B to AI equity deals in 2026

In short: Nvidia has committed more than $40 billion so far in 2026 to equity investments in AI companies, including a reported $30 billion investment in OpenAI.

What happened

Nvidia, best known for selling computer chips used to run many AI systems, has become a major investor in AI companies. TechCrunch reports, citing CNBC, that Nvidia has already committed over $40 billion to equity deals in the early months of 2026.

An equity investment means buying a slice of a company, like purchasing shares in a business. CNBC said a large part of the total is tied to one deal, a $30 billion investment in OpenAI.

CNBC also reported that Nvidia has announced seven multi-billion dollar investments in publicly traded companies. The most recent examples mentioned were plans to invest up to $3.2 billion in Corning, a glassmaker, and up to $2.1 billion in IREN, a data center operator (data centers are large buildings filled with computers that run online services).

TechCrunch added that Nvidia was involved in 67 venture deals in 2025 and has participated in around two dozen funding rounds in private startups so far in 2026, based on FactSet data.

Why it matters

Nvidia sells chips to many of the same companies it invests in. Critics say this can look like “circular deals,” where money moves between the same players, like a group of businesses repeatedly buying from and investing in each other. If Nvidia’s bets pay off, supporters argue it could help the company strengthen its position by backing the companies that build products on top of its hardware.

Source: TechCrunch AI