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NVIDIA's $100 Billion Profit and the Picks-and-Shovels Lesson
June 13, 2026 · Avanor Consulting Services
NVIDIA generated more than 100 billion dollars in profit over the last twelve months.
Meanwhile, thousands of companies around the world bought NVIDIA chips and became less profitable.
Think about that.
The AI gold rush has created winners and losers. The obvious winner is NVIDIA. But for every company spending millions on AI infrastructure, GPUs, cloud computing, and AI projects in the hope of future gains, NVIDIA is collecting cash today.
History has a habit of repeating itself. During the California Gold Rush, many prospectors went home empty-handed. The companies selling the picks, shovels, and equipment often made the most reliable profits.
Today, AI may be the biggest technological gold rush of our generation. And NVIDIA is selling the picks and shovels.
The lesson extends far beyond technology. Every industry has its own "gold rush." The real question is: are you competing with everyone else for the gold, or have you positioned yourself to profit from the rush itself?
At Avanor, we've found that the biggest opportunities often come not from following trends, but from understanding where value is actually being created within them.
Because the most profitable position in a market is not always the most obvious one. If AI is today's gold rush, who do you think is selling the picks and shovels in your industry?
Talk to us about finding where value is actually being created in your industry.
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