Kevin Durant’s $250,000 Hugging Face Investment Could Be Worth Over $60 Million

NBA superstar Kevin Durant may have scored one of the biggest wins of his investing career after his early bet on artificial intelligence company Hugging Face reportedly surged in value following Nvidia’s agreement to acquire the company for $12.9 billion.

Durant and his longtime business partner Rich Kleiman reportedly invested a combined $250,000 in Hugging Face during its early funding rounds—$100,000 in the seed round and another $150,000 in Series A.

If the Nvidia deal closes at the reported valuation, Durant’s early investment could now be worth more than $60 million, according to an estimate cited by sports business reporter Joe Pompliano.

That would represent roughly a 240-fold return on the original $250,000 investment, or approximately a 23,900% gain.

Hugging Face began as a startup focused on conversational AI before evolving into one of the world’s leading platforms for open-source artificial intelligence models, datasets and development tools.

The company was valued at about $4.5 billion following a 2023 funding round that included Nvidia as an investor. Nvidia has now reportedly agreed to acquire the company for $12.9 billion.

The acquisition would give Nvidia greater influence over the rapidly growing open-source AI ecosystem, as the chip giant continues expanding beyond its traditional hardware business.

Durant has become increasingly active in technology and startup investing through Thirty Five Ventures, the investment and media company he co-founded with Kleiman.

His Hugging Face investment shows how early-stage technology bets can generate extraordinary returns when a startup grows into a major player in a booming industry.

However, the $60 million figure is an estimate, not a confirmed payout. The actual value of Durant’s stake could differ because of dilution, additional investments, ownership arrangements and the final terms of Nvidia’s acquisition. The deal itself is also still subject to closing.

From $250,000 to potentially more than $60 million—Durant’s early bet on AI could turn out to be one of the most lucrative celebrity startup investments yet.