U.K. Considers Blocking Nvidia Takeover of Arm Over Security

  • Acquisition said to have implications for national security
  • No final decision taken on Nvidia’s $40 billion acquisition

Nvidia headquarters in Santa Clara, California.

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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The U.K. is considering blocking a takeover of Arm Ltd. by Nvidia Corp. due to potential risks to national security, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Nvidia, the biggest U.S. chip company by market capitalization, announced in September a $40 billion deal to acquire Arm from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp., as part of a push to spread its reach in the surging market for semiconductors. SoftBank has been selling assets to raise cash for buybacks and fresh investments in startups.