Nvidia Creates $5 Billion Chip-Buying Cycle Through $1 Billion Investment in Debt-Fueled AI Companies

Dec 22, 2025
The Verge
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Summary

Nvidia creates a $5 billion chip-buying cycle by investing $1 billion in debt-fueled AI companies that use borrowed money to purchase Nvidia chips, then use those same chips as loan collateral, creating a circular financing system that amplifies purchases but risks destabilizing the entire AI sector.

Key Points

  • Nvidia has invested over $1 billion in AI companies this year, particularly in neoclouds like CoreWeave that use borrowed money to buy Nvidia chips and put those same chips up as loan collateral
  • This circular financing model effectively turns $1 in Nvidia investment into $5 in Nvidia purchases, creating a system where Nvidia has incentive to bail out the industry to protect its chip-backed loans
  • The AI data center boom's dependence on Nvidia chips and debt financing creates vulnerability where problems with Nvidia's business could destabilize the entire sector

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