The Algorithm & The Ruble: Two Fortunes

Five thousand dollars. A pittance, really. Enough for a decent samovar, perhaps, or a fleeting moment of distraction from the general absurdity. But one can, with a certain degree of calculated recklessness, attempt to coax it into something…more. I confess, I’ve always found the market a peculiar sort of divination – a chaotic dance of numbers attempting to predict the whims of humanity. If one is compelled to participate in this particular madness, and has, thankfully, secured the funds after attending to more pressing matters (emergency funds, debts – the usual bourgeois necessities), then allow me to suggest a starting point. Two entities, currently vying for dominion over the digital ether. Consider them not as mere investments, but as characters in a rather unsettling play.

Nvidia

Nvidia. The name itself sounds like a minor demon, doesn’t it? A purveyor of shimmering illusions. They have, quite successfully, established themselves as the architects of this new reality – the infrastructure upon which the artificial intelligences are built. Their graphics processing units, these little silicon souls, are in demand. Revenue climbs, predictably. One might even say, relentlessly. They are not fools, these Nvidia people. They understand that a throne, however gilded, is perpetually under siege. The CUDA platform, a clever moat, is well and good, but moats, as history has repeatedly demonstrated, are eventually filled with…something. Perhaps with the tears of obsolescence.

The acquisition of Groq and SchedMd – a curious pairing, like a philosopher and a blacksmith. It suggests a desire to not merely supply the tools, but to shape the very nature of the creation. NemoClaw, utilizing SchedMD’s Slurm… the name alone evokes a Slavic winter. It’s an attempt to build a platform, an ecosystem. And the integration of Groq’s LPUs… a subtle shift from brute force to… finesse. They are no longer simply chip manufacturers; they aspire to be the digital demiurges, the creators of entire worlds. A rather ambitious undertaking, wouldn’t you agree? And, naturally, expensive. But then, what worthwhile endeavor isn’t?

Nvidia, then, is not merely a company; it is a digital principality. A solid, if somewhat unsettling, long-term investment. Provided, of course, the digital serfs continue to toil.

Alphabet

And now, Alphabet. A name that suggests an endless, labyrinthine bureaucracy. And, in many ways, it is. But within that sprawling organization lurks a peculiar sort of power. The control of the ecosystem, as they say. Nvidia builds the stage, but Alphabet…Alphabet owns the theater. And the actors, for that matter.

Their Tensor Processing Units, these TPUs, are the quiet engines of their dominion. Developed over a decade ago, they power much of Alphabet’s internal machinery. A subtle advantage, perhaps, but one that allows them to bypass the demands of the Nvidia principality. A cost advantage, naturally. And in this world, cost is everything. The ability to train models, to run inference, without bowing to external pressures… it’s a form of digital sovereignty. And, frankly, rather refreshing.

This advantage, of course, only amplifies as the demand for AI infrastructure surges. A virtuous cycle. A flywheel, as the Americans say. But it’s more than just chips. It’s the distribution network – Chrome, Android, even their uneasy alliance with Apple. The ability to monetize these models, to capture the attention of the masses… it’s a formidable power. And their cloud computing growth, fueled by these internal chips, only adds to the equation. Alphabet, then, is not merely a competitor; it is a digital empire. A complex, often opaque, but undeniably powerful entity. A long-term investment, certainly. Provided, of course, the bureaucracy doesn’t consume itself from within.

2026-03-21 20:52

Nvidia

Alphabet

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