Groq Cofounder Explains Whirlwind Deal With Nvidia

Grock co-founder Jonathan Ross approached Nvidia CEO Jensen Wong to advocate for specialized AI hardware for inference, arguing that general-purpose GPUs are inefficient for this task. Grock’s LPUs (language processing units) are designed for fast inference, unlike Nvidia’s GPUs, which excel at training. Ross sought to purchase 100,000 Blackwell chips from Nvidia. Three weeks after their meeting, Nvidia announced a $20 billion deal to license Grock's product and hire most of its staff, effectively a merger without the paperwork. This allowed Nvidia to secure Grock's technology and team without inheriting all liabilities or facing antitrust issues. Ross became Nvidia’s chief software architect, estimated to become a billionaire from the deal. Nvidia’s move signals a shift towards specialized inference solutions, acknowledging that the "GPU does everything" era is evolving. Wong dubbed 2026 the year of AI inference, announcing a new product integrating Grock’s LPUs with Nvidia’s GPUs. This validates the need for hardware beyond general-purpose GPUs, with chips set for delivery this summer. Grock, which struggled financially, now sees its technology integrated into the leading AI company, addressing a market need it anticipated early.