Kevin Durant Sees Huge Returns on Early Hugging Face AI Investment

28 Aug 2026, 6:49 pm · 15d ago · 1 min read · OfficeChai

NBA superstar Kevin Durant is poised to secure significant returns from his early investment in open-source artificial intelligence platform Hugging Face. Durant invested in the startup through his investment firm Thirty Five Ventures during its earlier funding rounds. Hugging Face has seen its valuation surge dramatically over recent years following widespread adoption of its open-source AI models and repositories, alongside strategic backing from major tech giants including Nvidia. Durant's early bet highlights how celebrity and athlete-led venture capital funds are increasingly capitalizing on the global artificial intelligence boom and securing substantial paper returns on foundational tech infrastructure.