Echoing the sentiment that raw computing power is the lifeblood of modern artificial intelligence, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have unveiled a historic partnership. Backed by a potential $100 billion investment from Nvidia, the collaboration is founded on Altman’s principle that “Everything starts with compute,” aiming to build an infrastructure capable of birthing the next generation of AI.
This vision will be realized through the construction of a massive 10-gigawatt network of Nvidia systems, exclusively for OpenAI’s use. This “AI factory” will provide the sheer power necessary for training increasingly complex models and running services like ChatGPT, which already caters to 700 million people weekly and has faced challenges with computational capacity.
The agreement, outlined in a letter of intent, represents the tightest integration yet between the AI software leader and the dominant hardware provider. Nvidia will not only supply the technology but will also become a part-owner of OpenAI, receiving equity as part of the deal. The investment is structured in performance-based stages, with an initial $10 billion tied to the deployment of the first gigawatt.
Jensen Huang celebrated the deal as the culmination of a decade of pushing boundaries together. “This investment and infrastructure partnership mark the next leap forward,” he declared, framing the 10-gigawatt deployment as the power source for a “new era of intelligence.” The collaboration is designed to be mutually beneficial, driving innovation on both the hardware and software fronts.
With the first phase of the new data centers slated to go live in the second half of 2026 using Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform, the roadmap is clear. This strategic alliance is a direct response to the escalating demands of the AI race, ensuring that the development of potentially world-changing technology is not hindered by a lack of computational power.