Nvidia gets subpoena in US antitrust probe

Justice Dept also seeking evidence from other companies that chipmaker broke laws

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The US Department of Justice (DOJ) sent subpoenas to Nvidia and other companies as it seeks evidence that the chipmaker violated antitrust laws, an escalation of its investigation into the dominant provider of artificial intelligence (AI) processors.

The DOJ, which had previously delivered questionnaires to companies, is now sending legally binding requests that oblige recipients to provide information, according to people familiar with the investigation. That takes the government a step closer to launching a formal complaint.

Antitrust officials are concerned that Nvidia is making it harder for companies to switch to other suppliers and penalises buyers that do not exclusively use its AI chips, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.

Nvidia shares, which suffered a record-setting rout on Sept 3, fell further in late trading after Bloomberg reported on the subpoenas.

Still, the stock has more than doubled in 2024 fuelled by explosive sales growth at the Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker.