Nvidia becomes the world’s first company to hit a $5 trillion market valuation, solidifying its dominance in the AI chip industry as demand for large-language models and supercomputing continues to surge, marking a defining moment in both Silicon Valley and global tech markets.
Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Nvidia began as a graphics chip designer for gaming. Over the past decade, it evolved into the backbone of artificial intelligence computing. Its GPUs now power everything from ChatGPT to self-driving cars. Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT launch in 2022, Nvidia’s stock has surged twelvefold, transforming the firm into a central player in the global AI race.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) reached a record-breaking $5.03 trillion market cap, becoming the first company ever to do so. Shares rose 3% to $207.04 on Wednesday, continuing a meteoric climb fueled by the AI boom. CEO Jensen Huang’s Nvidia stake is now valued at approximately $179.2 billion, making him the 8th richest person globally.
Nvidia announced $500 billion in AI chip orders and plans to build seven U.S. government supercomputers, reinforcing its AI infrastructure dominance. The company’s market value now surpasses the entire cryptocurrency market, highlighting AI’s dominance as the decade’s defining trend.
Apple and Microsoft have both reached $4 trillion valuations, though Nvidia remains ahead in AI-specific innovation and hardware. U.S. export controls on Nvidia’s Blackwell chips remain a point of contention in Washington–Beijing relations; President Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to discuss the issue. Analysts from Hargreaves Lansdown and Tuttle Capital Management note both optimism and caution, praising Nvidia’s leadership while warning of overvalued AI markets. Nvidia faces increasing oversight due to its central role in U.S. efforts to limit China’s access to advanced AI chips.
Nvidia is set to report quarterly earnings on November 19, with markets expecting strong results amid growing AI demand.