By https://www.notus.org/samuel-larreal
Publication Date: 2026-02-11 17:53:00
Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler invested $3 million in the privately owned artificial intelligence startup Groq right before it reached a lucrative business deal with Nvidia, according to a government document obtained by NOTUS.
Loeffler invested in Groq in October 2025, during a $750 million funding round for the California-based company that designs some of the world’s most advanced AI-focused chip technology.
Weeks later, in December, Groq reached a $20 billion cash deal to license its AI technology to Nvidia, the computer chip manufacturing giant and the world’s most valuable company by market capitalization.
Nvidia has likewise worked closely with President Donald Trump and his administration amid negotiations around the company’s ability to export chips to China.
The financial disclosure reviewed by NOTUS said Loeffler invested the $3 million in private stock shares of Groq through a limited liability company called Descante Capital LLC. Descante Capital reportedly serves as a holding company for Loeffler’s primary residence in Georgia, a$10.5 million mansion also named Descante.
Caitlin O’Dea, a spokesperson for the Small Business Administration, told NOTUS that Loeffler does not manage her own investments “pursuant to her SBA ethics agreement.”
O’Dea did not provide additional details about the nature of the investments or whether Loeffler had any previous knowledge of…
