DOJ Probes Nvidia's $20B Groq Licensing Deal Over Antitrust-Skirting Concerns

The Justice Department is investigating whether Nvidia structured its ~$20B non-exclusive licensing agreement with AI chip startup Groq — announced December 2025 and accompanied by the hire of Groq CEO Jonathan Ross and COO Sunny Madra — to avoid antitrust review, per NYT. DOJ has sent Nvidia a formal information request; Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal opened a parallel probe, arguing the deal could further entrench Nvidia's AI-chip dominance. Fines are possible but unwinding is unlikely.