Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is facing reported internal pushback on its ambitious $100 billion investment plan in OpenAI, according to a Wall Street Journal report that sent ripples through retail investor communities over the weekend. The news marks a potential shift in the AI infrastructure buildout narrative that has powered Nvidia’s 53% stock gain over the past year.
The reported concerns center on the scale and strategic alignment of the massive capital commitment. At $100 billion, the investment would represent roughly 53% of Nvidia’s $187 billion in trailing twelve-month revenue and nearly 89% of its $113 billion EBITDA. While Nvidia’s $4.65 trillion market cap technically supports such deployment, the internal hesitation suggests questions about return on investment and partnership dynamics.
Reddit sentiment data shows the shift in real-time. The story generated over 2,000 upvotes and 200+ comments across r/wallstreetbets and r/stocks, with sentiment scores dropping from bullish readings of 72-78 on January 29 to bearish levels of 32-47 by February 1. One highly-engaged post titled “The $100 Billion Megadeal Between OpenAI and Nvidia Is on Ice” captured retail investor anxiety about execution risk.
The timing is notable. Just weeks ago, CEO Jensen Huang dismissed concerns about custom chip competition, arguing Nvidia’s holistic AI stack remains unmatched. He predicted TSMC capacity would need to double to meet AI demand, calling it “the largest infrastructure build-out of its kind in human history.”
The parallel to Oracle’s recent struggles is instructive. Oracle’s announcement of a $45-50 billion AI infrastructure funding plan triggered a 4% premarket drop as investors questioned debt loads and near-term profitability. The market is bullish on AI demand but increasingly skeptical about mega-scale capex commitments delivering returns.
Nvidia trades at 48x trailing earnings with analysts maintaining a $254 price target, but this reported internal friction adds a new variable to the growth equation.