Nvidia and OpenAI Forge $100B AI Infrastructure Partnership

Nvidia's strategic pact with OpenAI marks a pivotal moment in the AI infrastructure race. The deal, valued at $100 billion, will deploy at least 10 gigawatts of computing power starting in late 2026, beginning with the Vera Rubin platform. This transforms speculative AI buildout discussions into concrete, staged deployments with significant financial implications.

OpenAI's decision to partner with Nvidia reflects a pragmatic approach. While the company continues developing custom chips for 2026, leveraging Nvidia's proven CUDA software, NVLink networking, and years of optimization allows immediate scaling in a fiercely competitive landscape. The arrangement provides OpenAI with critical capacity while preserving long-term silicon options, and grants Nvidia multi-year revenue visibility.

The partnership aligns with January's ambitious $500 billion Stargate blueprint, lending credibility to what many initially dismissed as overreach. The phased investment structure mirrors OpenAI's funding approach, creating a reciprocal relationship that will undoubtedly face regulatory scrutiny given its unprecedented scale.