ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent order $35B of Nvidia chips

Three of China's biggest tech companies have ordered more than 3 million Nvidia graphics cards, with a list price above $35 billion, Reuters reported on October 20, 2026. The cards are a weaker model that US export rules still allow in China. It shows how badly Chinese firms still want Nvidia's chips, even when they can't get the best ones.

What happened

ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent ordered more than 3 million Nvidia RTX PRO 5500 cards, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Each card costs about $11,400, the same sources said. That puts the total sticker price above $35 billion.

The $35 billion is a list-price value. It is not money Nvidia has already earned, and the cards are not sure to be delivered. Nvidia told customers it cannot promise to fill the orders because demand from China is far bigger than what it plans to make, Reuters reported.

The three companies did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Key facts

• Orders from the three firms: More than 3 million RTX PRO 5500 cards, over $35 billion at list price, per two sources who spoke to Reuters.
• All Chinese orders: Total orders from customers in China passed 6 million cards, two sources said.
• Supply gap: One source said Nvidia told partners they may get only 5% to 10% of what they asked for.
• Production limit: Another source said Nvidia indicated it could make no more than 3 million of these cards worldwide in 2027.
• Timing: Nvidia told customers to expect early samples in December, with regular deliveries starting in the first quarter of 2027, Reuters reported.
• What they're for: Chinese firms plan to use the cards mostly to run AI models that are already trained, not to train new ones, Reuters reported.

Background

The RTX PRO 5500 is a workstation card, not a big data-center chip. But it is one of the most powerful Nvidia chips Chinese buyers can still get, according to Reuters. It is less powerful than Nvidia's H200 and B300 chips.

US export curbs on chips to China began in 2022. Today, Nvidia's top B300 chip can't be sold to Chinese buyers, and the H200 is reviewed case by case. Nvidia's chief executive has said the rules cut the company's share of China's AI data-center chip market from near total to almost nothing, Reuters reported. A Nvidia spokesperson criticized the US rules for covering gaming products released nearly five years ago, and also pointed to China's own limits on US imports.

The curbs have also pushed Chinese firms toward homegrown chips. Huawei has gained market share, but Chinese chipmakers generally struggle to match the best US products, Reuters said.

What it means for you

Our take: if you use TikTok, Alibaba's shopping apps or WeChat, the AI features inside them need huge amounts of computing power. These orders show those companies are still willing to pay big money to get it.

Our take: the bigger story is the shortage. If Nvidia can only fill a small slice of these orders, Chinese firms may lean even harder on local chips. That could shape which AI tools get built, and where, over the next few years.

What happens next

Nvidia told customers early samples come in December and regular deliveries start in the first quarter of 2027, per Reuters. Starting in 2027, Nvidia is also expected to move much of its factory capacity at chipmaker TSMC to its next data-center platform, called Rubin, Reuters reported.

FAQ

How many Nvidia chips did ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent order?

More than 3 million RTX PRO 5500 cards, with a list price above $35 billion, two sources told Reuters. Total orders from China passed 6 million cards.

Is the $35 billion money Nvidia has already made?

No. It is the sticker price of the orders. Nvidia told customers it cannot promise to fill them, and one source said partners may get only 5% to 10% of what they asked for.

Why can't Chinese firms buy Nvidia's best AI chips?

US export curbs began in 2022, and today they block sales of top chips like the B300 to Chinese buyers. The RTX PRO 5500 is a weaker card the rules still allow, per Reuters.

Sources

• Reuters
• investing.com