Nvidia Corp. made history on Wednesday by becoming the first company in the world to reach a $5 trillion market capitalization, driven by a powerful rally that underscores its central role in the global artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.
The milestone marks Nvidia’s dramatic evolution from a specialized graphics-chip maker into the backbone of the AI industry, turning CEO Jensen Huang into one of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures. Nvidia’s cutting-edge processors have also become a focal point in the U.S.-China tech rivalry.
Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Nvidia’s stock has surged over 12-fold, propelling major U.S. indices such as the S&P 500 to record highs. The latest surge, just three months after the company crossed the $4 trillion mark, now makes Nvidia’s valuation larger than the entire cryptocurrency market and nearly half the size of Europe’s Stoxx 600 index.
Shares of the Santa Clara, California-based company rose 3.5% on Wednesday, following a series of announcements highlighting its dominance in AI computing. On Tuesday, Huang revealed $500 billion in AI chip orders and announced plans to build seven supercomputers for the U.S. government.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is expected to discuss Nvidia’s Blackwell chip with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, as tensions continue over U.S. export controls on high-end semiconductor sales to China.
CEO Jensen Huang’s Growing Fortune
At current market prices, Huang’s stake in Nvidia is worth approximately $177.3 billion, according to regulatory filings and Reuters estimates — placing him among the world’s top 10 richest individuals.
Born in Taiwan and raised in the United States from the age of nine, Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has led it ever since. Under his leadership, Nvidia’s H100 and Blackwell processors have become essential to large-language models that power AI tools such as ChatGPT and Elon Musk’s xAI.
Nvidia’s success mirrors the rapid ascent of its tech peers, with Apple and Microsoft also recently surpassing the $4 trillion valuation threshold.
Geopolitical Flashpoint
Nvidia’s technological dominance has also made it a key player in global geopolitics, especially amid U.S. efforts to restrict China’s access to advanced chips.
Industry observers note that the company has actively engaged with Washington to align its strategy with U.S. policy goals, while also warning that cutting China off from its technology ecosystem could limit U.S. access to a significant portion of the world’s AI talent.
At Nvidia’s recent developer conference, Huang emphasized the importance of maintaining global collaboration in AI innovation, even as he praised U.S. initiatives encouraging domestic semiconductor investment.
While rivals such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and several AI-focused startups are striving to compete, Nvidia remains the clear leader in the high-end AI chip market.
Nvidia is scheduled to report its next quarterly results on November 19.
