The chip giant is betting big on Sutskever’s secretive superintelligence project, and the move could reshape who leads the next phase of AI.

Nvidia is investing $5 billion in Safe Superintelligence, the startup founded by OpenAI’s former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, according to a source familiar with the deal. The two companies confirmed the partnership Monday morning but kept the financial details under wraps.

Key Details

A person briefed on the matter told Reuters the investment is worth $5 billion, a figure Bloomberg had already reported earlier. The deal gives SSI a major boost in computing power and, notably, access to Nvidia’s newest Vera Rubin chips – hardware built for the most demanding AI workloads. Sources say the agreement was finalized in just a few weeks, a sign of how urgently both sides wanted this done.

Market Reaction

Nvidia shares are drawing fresh attention following the news, as investors weigh what a $5 billion bet on a rival AI lab means for the company’s broader strategy. Expect volatility around NVDA in the sessions ahead as traders digest the implications.

Why It Matters

Sutskever left OpenAI after a very public falling out and has kept SSI largely under wraps since. Nvidia backing him directly puts the chipmaker at the center of two competing AI camps at once,  supplying hardware to nearly everyone while now holding equity in one of the most closely watched labs in the field. For traders, this signals Nvidia isn’t just selling chips anymore. It’s placing strategic bets on who wins the AI race.

Keep an eye on whether OpenAI or other Nvidia partners respond, and watch for any hints about what SSI is actually building with all this new firepower.

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Source: Reuters