Nvidia to Acquire Hugging Face for $12.93 Billion in Landmark Open-Source AI Deal
Starting Sept 4, multiple sources reported that Nvidia would acquire open-source model community Hugging Face for $12.93 billion, seen as a major bet on the open-source AI ecosystem and the largest open-source deal in AI history. The rumor spread across independent accounts the same day and was picked up by mainstream media; on Sept 5 Fortune reported the $12.93B figure, noting Hugging Face's $150M annualized revenue implies an 86x multiple—clearly about strategic positioning rather than current business.
Confirmed
- The rumor spread on Sept 4 via multiple independent accounts: @ChiefTaquero cited a Reuters report; @lifebypixels, @petrusenkomax, @TheTuringPost, @chrismattmann relayed it, most flagging it as unverified
- Hugging Face employee danaaubakir posted that the company was being acquired by Nvidia, corroborating from an insider's perspective (via @QGallouedec)
- llama.cpp author Georgi Gerganov announced the acquisition, saying he was excited to join the journey and noting Nvidia had contributed code to llama.cpp for over a year (via @MaziyarPanahi)
- On Sept 5, Fortune reported the $12.93B figure and the 86x revenue multiple; @ksraj1001 noted coverage by CNBC/TechCrunch; @emmanuelvivier's French-language roundup said Nvidia confirmed the deal, calling it the biggest open-source bet in AI history
- Per @创业邦's morning brief: the three French founders are each worth $1.8B, the deal is expected to close in H1 2027, the platform stays open, and founders signed 6-year retention agreements
- Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff congratulated Jensen Huang, calling Hugging Face "a true treasure" and noting Salesforce Ventures led its 2023 Series D (via @victormustar)
Unconfirmed
- @chrismattmann noted the news initially was just a tweet link, with deal value and regulatory review details unverified
- Claims relayed by @BethKindig and @petrusenkomax that Hugging Face will remain open, support multi-cloud and multi-accelerator, and not force Nvidia compute remain officially unconfirmed
Why it matters
- If true, it is a landmark deal for open-source AI: the world's largest AI chip vendor absorbing the largest model hosting and distribution layer, extending from compute into the model ecosystem
- With 18M+ developers and 3M+ hosted models, @ChiefTaquero and others raised concerns about Hugging Face's neutrality and open-model accessibility post-acquisition
- At Fortune's 86x revenue multiple, the logic is strategic positioning; analysis relayed by @Accbalanced (from Harry Stebbings and @rodriscoll) argues Nvidia, earning $120B a year selling compute, is buying a platform that makes compute usage more efficient—using open source to compress margins and sell more GPUs
- @TheTuringPost recalled Nvidia's shifting stance on open source: Linus Torvalds expressed frustration with the company in 2012; the acquisition would mark a dramatic reversal
2026-09-04 ~ 2026-09-05 · 14 related posts
- Episode 1: NVIDIA Reportedly Agrees to Buy Hugging Face for ~$12.9B(2026-08-27, 60 posts)
- Episode 2: NVIDIA Partners with Hugging Face on Nemotron Open Models(2026-08-27, 3 posts)
- Episode 3: Nvidia Reportedly Eyes $13 Billion Hugging Face Acquisition(2026-08-28, 3 posts)
- Episode 4: NVIDIA Reportedly Agrees to Acquire Hugging Face for $12.9B(2026-08-30, 8 posts)
- Episode 5: Nvidia Reportedly Agrees to Buy Hugging Face for Around $12.9 Billion(2026-08-31, 7 posts)
- Episode 6: NVIDIA Officially Acquires Hugging Face for $12.93 Billion(2026-09-03, 93 posts)
- Episode 7: Rumored NVIDIA Acquisition of Hugging Face at $12.93B Hides 🤗 Easter Egg(2026-09-03, 8 posts)
- Episode 8: Data Shows Open-Weight Models Are Widely Deployed in Production(2026-09-03, 2 posts)
- Episode 9: Nvidia to Acquire Hugging Face for $12.93 Billion in Landmark Open-Source AI Deal(2026-09-04, 14 posts)
- Episode 10: Nvidia Confirms $12.93 Billion Acquisition of Hugging Face, Betting Big on Open-Source AI(2026-09-04, 5 posts)
- Episode 11: NVIDIA Reportedly to Acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 Billion(2026-09-07, 5 posts)
- Episode 12: Rumored Nvidia acquisition of Hugging Face sparks debate(2026-09-09, 2 posts)
Primary sources
- NVIDIA reportedly buying Hugging Face for $12.9B, reshaping open-source AI — TheTuringPost · 2026-09-04
- Unconfirmed: NVIDIA said to acquire Hugging Face for $12.93B, platform to stay open — petrusenko_max · 2026-09-04
- Hugging Face employee claims NVIDIA is acquiring the company, deal unconfirmed — QGallouedec · 2026-09-04
- [source] Reuters: Nvidia to buy Hugging Face for nearly $13B in big bet on open AI models — Chief_Taquero · 2026-09-04
- Why Nvidia buying Hugging Face makes sense: open source keeps margins low, GPU sales high — AccBalanced · 2026-09-05
- Nvidia to buy Hugging Face for $12.93B; Thinking Machines eyes $40B valuation — 创业邦 · 2026-09-05
- Nvidia Buying Hugging Face for ~$13B, Apple Renting Gemini, and Sonnet 5's Quiet Price Hike — ksraj1001 · 2026-09-05
- [source] Hugging Face Acquired by NVIDIA, Confirmed by llama.cpp Author Georgi Gerganov — MaziyarPanahi · 2026-09-05
- Benioff congratulates Jensen Huang on buying Hugging Face, a 'real jewel' — victormustar · 2026-09-05
5 near-duplicate retellings: chrismattmann · lifebypixels · fortune · Beth_Kindig · emmanuelvivier