The Trump administration may have had a hand in the Nvidia/Intel partnership, whether directly or indirectly, despite Jensen's claims to the contrary

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 13: U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, signs an executive order on reciprocal tariffs in the Oval Office at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump announced his plan to increase U.S. tariffs to match the rates other nations charge to import American goods. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images).

The dust is beginning to settle on yesterday's Nvidia and Intel announcement, in which the two companies declared a collaboration to make new chips for both the data center and consumer markets. In a press conference yesterday evening, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang firmly stated that the Trump administration "had no involvement in this partnership at all", but there's evidence to suggest this may not be entirely the case.

The announcement also broke the news of a $5 billion investment by Nvidia into Intel's common stock, at a purchase price of $23.28 per share. According to sources speaking to The New York Times, the Trump administration approached Nvidia in January and asked it to invest in the chipmaker. The US government has since made an $8.9 billion investment in Intel itself, which is now estimated to be worth $13 billion as a result of Intel's share price rising by near 23% off the back of yesterday's news.