Tech Billionaires Face $108 Billion Loss After DeepSeek’s AI Disruption
The world’s 500 richest people collectively lost $108 billion on Monday after a tech-driven selloff triggered by Chinese AI company DeepSeek. Nvidia’s co-founder, Jensen Huang, saw his wealth drop by $20.1 billion, a 20% decline. Oracle’s co-founder, Larry Ellison, lost $22.6 billion, though this was only 12% of his fortune. Other major losses included Michael Dell ($13 billion) and Binance’s Changpeng Zhao ($12.1 billion).
Tech Sector Takes the Biggest Hit
The biggest losses came from tech billionaires, who saw $94 billion vanish—about 85% of the total losses in Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. The Nasdaq Composite fell 3.1%, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.5%.
DeepSeek, based in Hangzhou, has been working on AI since 2023 but only gained global attention recently. Its chatbot, DeepSeek R1, a free AI model, became the most downloaded app worldwide. The sudden surge in users caused technical issues, forcing DeepSeek to limit access to Chinese phone numbers.
Why DeepSeek Shook Silicon Valley
DeepSeek’s success challenges the belief that developing top-tier AI models requires massive financial investment. The company claims its AI model cost just $5.6 million to build, significantly less than the billions spent by US tech giants. This has led investors to question Silicon Valley’s heavy spending on AI.
Tech giants like Meta, Alphabet, and Microsoft have spent huge sums on AI development, largely by securing top-tier semiconductor chips and power supplies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced a $60–$65 billion investment in AI for 2025. Analysts expect total AI-related spending among US tech firms to reach $200 billion this year.
AI Investments Under Scrutiny
Despite limited financial returns so far, investors have rewarded these companies with record-breaking stock valuations. Nvidia, in particular, has benefited from the AI boom, with Huang’s net worth increasing nearly eightfold to $121 billion since early 2023. Zuckerberg’s wealth has grown 385% to $229 billion, while Amazon’s Jeff Bezos saw a 133% increase to $254 billion.
However, not all tech billionaires suffered losses in the selloff. Zuckerberg’s wealth actually rose by $4.3 billion as Meta rebounded from early trading losses. Bezos also gained $632 million.
DeepSeek’s Secret to Success
DeepSeek’s ability to create a powerful AI model at a fraction of Silicon Valley’s costs is partly due to China’s limited access to high-end AI chips. The US government has restricted the export of advanced Nvidia GPUs to Chinese firms. However, Alexandr Wang, CEO of AI data provider Scale AI, suggests that Chinese companies may have more high-end chips than widely believed.
In a recent CNBC interview, Wang claimed DeepSeek possesses around 50,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs. If true, this means the company may have secured access to these chips despite US trade restrictions.
The Future of AI Spending
DeepSeek’s emergence raises important questions about the future of AI investment. If top AI models can be built for a fraction of what Silicon Valley is spending, will investors continue to support the heavy capital spending of US tech giants?
For now, the AI arms race continues, with companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google still betting on massive investments. However, DeepSeek’s rise has shaken confidence in this approach, proving that disruptive innovation can come from unexpected places.
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