Supreme Court Allows Investor Lawsuit Against Nvidia Over Crypto Revenue Claims

Dec. 11, 2024, 9:14 pm ET

Instant Insight

30-Second Take

  • Supreme Court allows investor lawsuit against Nvidia to proceed
  • Case centers on company’s alleged misleading statements about crypto mining revenue
  • Decision comes amid separate Chinese antitrust investigation

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Quick Brief

2-Minute Digest

Essential Context

The Supreme Court rejected Nvidia’s appeal, allowing investors to pursue claims that the chipmaker concealed $1B+ in cryptocurrency-related revenue. This marks a significant victory for shareholders who suffered losses when crypto markets crashed in 2018.

Core Players

  • Nvidia Corporation – World’s largest graphics chip manufacturer
  • Swedish Pension Fund – Lead plaintiff representing investor class
  • Jensen Huang – Nvidia CEO and co-founder
  • Supreme Court Justices – Unanimously rejected Nvidia’s appeal

Key Numbers

  • $3 trillion – Nvidia’s current market capitalization
  • 28% – Stock price drop following 2018 crypto crash
  • $1 billion+ – Alleged undisclosed crypto-mining revenue
  • 180% – Nvidia stock gain in 2024 despite legal challenges

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Full Depth

The Catalyst

Investors claim Nvidia attributed its 2017-2018 revenue surge to gaming, while knowing cryptocurrency miners drove significant sales. When crypto prices collapsed, Nvidia’s stock plummeted 28%.

Inside Forces

The company faces mounting pressure to improve transparency after paying a $5.5M SEC fine in 2022 for similar disclosure issues.

Internal documents suggest executives knew crypto mining represented a larger portion of sales than publicly stated.

Power Dynamics

The Biden administration backed investors, arguing for stronger corporate accountability.

Chinese regulators launched a separate antitrust investigation this week, creating additional pressure.

Outside Impact

The ruling sets precedent for similar tech sector disclosure cases.

Wall Street analysts predict minimal financial impact given Nvidia’s current AI-driven success.

Future Forces

Key developments to watch:

  • Class action proceedings in lower courts
  • Potential settlement negotiations
  • Chinese investigation outcomes
  • New SEC disclosure requirements

Data Points

  • 2017: Crypto mining revenue surge begins
  • 2018: Stock drops 28% after crypto crash
  • 2022: $5.5M SEC settlement
  • 2024: Supreme Court allows lawsuit to proceed
  • 2024: Chinese antitrust investigation launches