Nvidia has set up NVPAC, a federal political action committee that can donate to US federal candidates and party committees. The money doesn't come straight from Nvidia's corporate accounts — it's voluntary contributions from eligible employees, capped at $5,000 per person per year. The PAC can support both Democrats and Republicans, and its donations and recipients are disclosed to the Federal Election Commission.
Don't mistake this for a Super PAC that can raise and spend unlimited money. It's an employee PAC, the kind big American companies routinely run. Google and Meta have had similar setups for years. Anthropic joined the club in April with its own AnthroPAC, which had pulled in about $350,000 by the end of July.
Nvidia has been visibly stepping up its Washington game. Federal lobbying spending this year has already topped $2.5 million, up from the same period last year. In June, the company hired Bruce Andrews — a former deputy commerce secretary in the Obama administration — as its chief external affairs officer, and it also brought on several outside lobbying firms.
Nvidia told employees in an email that policies Congress makes in the coming years will directly shape the AI industry, as well as whether customers can get and use Nvidia's technology. With AI regulation and chip export controls hitting closer to its bottom line, Nvidia is extending its political influence from lobbying into campaign donations.
Source: Bloomberg Law
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