Nvidia has launched an initiative to raise over $500 billion in third-party capital to finance AI infrastructure, including data centers and GPU clusters. The program, announced on August 10-11, 2026, involves six major financial partners: Apollo Global Management, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, and KKR.
The core of the strategy is to treat Nvidia’s hardware as collateral for loans. To mitigate lender concerns, Nvidia provides a backstop guarantee covering up to 25% of the residual value on select deals. This initiative is managed in part by Nico Caprez, the company's Vice President of Global AI Infrastructure Growth.
As of early October 2026, some Wall Street investors have expressed skepticism regarding the long-term value of AI hardware as collateral. Investors fear that rapid technological depreciation could cause the value of the chips to fall faster than the debt, leading to demands for larger guarantees as of October 1, 2026.
This financing model creates a strategic paradox for Nvidia. While the company relies on frequent product cycles to release faster chips, the success of the financing program depends on older hardware maintaining its market value to secure long-term debt.
