esppplan.htm

(a) The purpose of the 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide a means by which employees of NVIDIA Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its Affiliates, as defined in subparagraph 1(b), which are designated as provided in subparagraph 2(b), may be given an opportunity to purchase stock of the Company.

(d) The Company intends that the rights to purchase stock of the Company granted under the Plan be considered options issued under an “employee stock purchase plan” as that term is defined in Section 423(b) of the Code (the “423(b) Plan”) although the Company makes no undertaking nor representation to maintain such qualification. In addition, this Plan document authorizes the grant of rights to purchase stock that do not qualify under Section 423(b) of the Code (“Non-423(b) Plan”) pursuant to rules, procedures or sub-plans adopted by the Board or Committee designed to achieve tax, securities law or other Company compliance objectives in particular locations outside the United States. This Plan shall govern the terms and conditions of grants made under both the 423(b) Plan component and the Non-423(b) Plan component.

(a) The Plan shall be administered by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company unless and until the Board delegates administration to a Committee, as provided in subparagraph 2(c). Whether or not the Board has delegated administration, the Board shall have the final power to determine all questions of policy and expediency that may arise in the administration of the Plan.

(iii) To construe and interpret the Plan and rights granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration. The Board, in the exercise of this power, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan, in a manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan fully effective.

(c) The Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a Committee composed of not fewer than two (2) members of the Board (the “Committee”) constituted in accordance with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 (“Rule 16b-3”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). If administration is delegated to a Committee, the Committee shall have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board, subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. The Board may abolish the Committee at any time and revest in the Board the administration of the Plan.

(a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph 12 relating to adjustments upon changes in stock, the stock that may be sold pursuant to rights granted under the Plan shall not exceed in the aggregate seventy-seven million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (77,999,999) shares1 of the Company’s common stock (the “Common Stock”). If any right granted under the Plan shall for any reason terminate without having been exercised, the Common Stock not purchased under such right shall again become available for the Plan.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection 3(a) hereof, on the last day of each fiscal year (the “Calculation Date”) for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the fiscal year ending in January 2000 and ending with the fiscal year ending in January 2009, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that are available for issuance under the Plan shall automatically be increased by a number of shares equal to two percent (2%) of the Diluted Shares Outstanding; provided, however, that the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that are available for issuance under the Plan shall not exceed seventy-seven million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (77,999,999) shares2 of Common Stock.

(d) For purposes of subsection 3(c) hereof, “Diluted Shares Outstanding” shall mean, as of any date, (i) the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company on such Calculation Date, plus (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon such Calculation Date assuming the conversion of all outstanding Preferred Stock and convertible notes, plus (iii) the additional number of dilutive Common Stock equivalent shares outstanding as the result of any options or warrants outstanding during the fiscal year, calculated using the treasury stock method.

(a) The Board or the Committee may from time to time grant or provide for the grant of rights to purchase Common Stock of the Company under the Plan to eligible employees (an “Offering”) on a date or dates (the “Offering Date(s)”) selected by the Board or the Committee. Each Offering under the 423(b) Plan shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Board or the Committee shall deem appropriate, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 423(b)(5) of the Code that all employees granted rights to purchase stock under the Plan shall have the same rights and privileges. The terms and conditions of an Offering shall be incorporated by reference into the Plan and treated as part of the Plan. The provisions of separate Offerings need not be identical, but each Offering shall include (through incorporation of the provisions of this Plan by reference in the document comprising the Offering or otherwise) the period during which the Offering shall be effective, which period shall not exceed twenty-seven (27) months beginning with the Offering Date, and the substance of the provisions contained in paragraphs 5 through 8, inclusive. The Board or Committee may from time to time grant or provide for the grant of rights to purchase Common Stock of the Company under the Non-423(b) Plan. If such grants are intended to be made under the Non-423(b) Plan, they will be designated as such at the time of grant and such grants may not comply with the requirements set forth under Section 423 of the Code.

(b) If an employee has more than one right outstanding under the Plan, unless he or she otherwise indicates in agreements or notices delivered hereunder: (1) each agreement or notice delivered by that employee will be deemed to apply to all of his or her rights under the Plan, and (2) a right with a lower exercise price (or an earlier-granted right, if two rights have identical exercise prices), will be exercised to the fullest possible extent before a right with a higher exercise price (or a later-granted right, if two rights have identical exercise prices) will be exercised.

(a) Rights may be granted only to employees of the Company or, as the Board or the Committee may designate as provided in subparagraph 2(b), to employees of any Affiliate of the Company. Except as provided in subparagraph 5(b), an employee of the Company or any Affiliate shall not be eligible to be granted rights under the Plan, unless, on the Offering Date, such employee has been in the employ of the Company or any Affiliate for such continuous period preceding such grant as the Board or the Committee may require, but in no event shall the required period of continuous employment be equal to or greater than two (2) years. In addition, unless otherwise determined by the Board or the Committee and set forth in the terms of the applicable Offering, no employee of the Company or any Affiliate shall be eligible to be granted rights under the Plan, unless, on the Offering Date, such employee’s customary employment with the Company or such Affiliate is for at least twenty (20) hours per week and at least five (5) months per calendar year.

(b) The Board or the Committee may provide that, each person who, during the course of an Offering, first becomes an eligible employee of the Company or designated Affiliate will, on a date or dates specified in the Offering which coincides with the day on which such person becomes an eligible employee or occurs thereafter, receive a right under that Offering, which right shall thereafter be deemed to be a part of that Offering. Such right shall have the same characteristics as any rights originally granted under that Offering, as described herein, except that:

(c) No employee shall be eligible for the grant of any rights under the Plan if, immediately after any such rights are granted, such employee owns stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Affiliate. For purposes of this subparagraph 5(c), the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code shall apply in determining the stock ownership of any employee, and stock which such employee may purchase under all outstanding rights and options shall be treated as stock owned by such employee.

(d) An eligible employee may be granted rights under the Plan only if such rights, together with any other rights granted under “employee stock purchase plans” of the Company and any Affiliates, as specified by Section 423(b)(8) of the Code, do not permit such employee’s rights to purchase stock of the Company or any Affiliate to accrue at a rate which exceeds twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000) of fair market value of such stock (determined at the time such rights are granted) for each calendar year in which such rights are outstanding at any time.

(e) Officers of the Company and any designated Affiliate shall be eligible to participate in Offerings under the Plan, provided, however, that the Board may provide in an Offering that certain employees who are highly compensated employees within the meaning of Section 423(b)(4)(D) of the Code shall not be eligible to participate.

(a) On each Offering Date, each eligible employee, pursuant to an Offering made under the Plan, shall be granted the right to purchase up to the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company purchasable with a percentage designated by the Board or the Committee not exceeding fifteen percent (15%) of such employee’s Earnings (as defined by the Board or the Committee in each Offering) during the period which begins on the Offering Date (or such later date as the Board or the Committee determines for a particular Offering) and ends on the date stated in the Offering, which date shall be no later than the end of the Offering. The Board or the Committee shall establish one or more dates during an Offering (the “Purchase Date(s)”) on which rights granted under the Plan shall be exercised and purchases of Common Stock carried out in accordance with such Offering.

(b) In connection with each Offering made under the Plan, the Board or the Committee may specify a maximum number of shares that may be purchased by any employee as well as a maximum aggregate number of shares that may be purchased by all eligible employees pursuant to such Offering. In addition, in connection with each Offering that contains more than one Purchase Date, the Board or the Committee may specify a maximum aggregate number of shares which may be purchased by all eligible employees on any given Purchase Date under the Offering. If the aggregate purchase of shares upon exercise of rights granted under the Offering would exceed any such maximum aggregate number, the Board or the Committee shall make a pro rata allocation of the shares available in as nearly a uniform manner as shall be practicable and as it shall deem to be equitable.

(a) An eligible employee may become a participant in the Plan pursuant to an Offering by delivering a participation agreement to the Company within the time specified in the Offering, in such form as the Company provides. Each such agreement shall authorize payroll deductions of up to the maximum percentage specified by the Board or the Committee of such employee’s Earnings during the Offering (as defined by the Board or Committee in each Offering). The payroll deductions made for each participant shall be credited to an account for such participant under the Plan and shall be deposited with the general funds of the Company. A participant may reduce (including to zero) or increase such payroll deductions, and an eligible employee may begin such payroll deductions, after the beginning of any Offering only as provided for in the Offering. A participant may make additional payments into his or her account only if specifically provided for in the Offering and only if the participant has not had the maximum amount withheld during the Offering.

(b) At any time during an Offering, a participant may terminate his or her payroll deductions under the Plan and withdraw from the Offering by delivering to the Company a notice of withdrawal in such form as the Company provides. Such withdrawal may be elected at any time prior to the end of the Offering except as provided by the Board or the Committee in the Offering. Upon such withdrawal from the Offering by a participant, the Company shall distribute to such participant all of his or her accumulated payroll deductions (reduced to the extent, if any, such deductions have been used to acquire stock for the participant) under the Offering, without interest, and such participant’s interest in that Offering shall be automatically terminated. A participant’s withdrawal from an Offering will have no effect upon such participant’s eligibility to participate in any other Offerings under the Plan but such participant will be required to deliver a new participation agreement in order to participate in subsequent Offerings under the Plan.

(c) Rights granted pursuant to any Offering under the Plan shall terminate immediately upon cessation of any participating employee’s employment with the Company and any designated Affiliate, for any reason, and the Company shall distribute to such terminated employee all of his or her accumulated payroll deductions (reduced to the extent, if any, such deductions have been used to acquire stock for the terminated employee) under the Offering, without interest.

(d) Rights granted under the Plan shall not be transferable by a participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, or by a beneficiary designation as provided in paragraph 14 and, otherwise during his or her lifetime, shall be exercisable only by the person to whom such rights are granted.

(a) On each Purchase Date specified therefor in the relevant Offering, each participant’s accumulated payroll deductions and other additional payments specifically provided for in the Offering (without any increase for interest) will be applied to the purchase of whole shares of stock of the Company, up to the maximum number of shares permitted pursuant to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Offering, at the purchase price specified in the Offering. No fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of rights granted under the Plan. The amount, if any, of accumulated payroll deductions remaining in each participant’s account after the purchase of shares which is less than the amount required to purchase one share of stock on the final Purchase Date of an Offering shall be held in each such participant’s account for the purchase of shares under the next Offering under the Plan, unless such participant withdraws from such next Offering, as provided in subparagraph 7(b), or is no longer eligible to be granted rights under the Plan, as provided in paragraph 5, in which case such amount shall be distributed to the participant after such final Purchase Date, without interest. The amount, if any, of accumulated payroll deductions remaining in any participant’s account after the purchase of shares which is equal to the amount required to purchase whole shares of stock on the final Purchase Date of an Offering shall be distributed in full to the participant after such Purchase Date, without interest.

(b) No rights granted under the Plan may be exercised to any extent unless the shares to be issued upon such exercise under the Plan (including rights granted thereunder) are covered by an effective registration statement pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and the Plan is in material compliance with all applicable state, foreign and other securities and other laws applicable to the Plan. If on a Purchase Date in any Offering hereunder the Plan is not so registered or in such compliance, no rights granted under the Plan or any Offering shall be exercised on such Purchase Date, and the Purchase Date shall be delayed until the Plan is subject to such an effective registration statement and such compliance, except that the Purchase Date shall not be delayed more than twelve (12) months and the Purchase Date shall in no event be more than twenty-seven (27) months from the Offering Date. If on the Purchase Date of any Offering hereunder, as delayed to the maximum extent permissible, the Plan is not registered and in such compliance, no rights granted under the Plan or any Offering shall be exercised and all payroll deductions accumulated during the Offering (reduced to the extent, if any, such deductions have been used to acquire stock) shall be distributed to the participants, without interest.

(b) The Company shall seek to obtain from each federal, state, foreign or other regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to issue and sell shares of stock upon exercise of the rights granted under the Plan. If, after reasonable efforts, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority which counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of stock under the Plan, the Company shall be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell stock upon exercise of such rights unless and until such authority is obtained.

(a) If any change is made in the stock subject to the Plan, or subject to any rights granted under the Plan (through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or other transaction not involving the receipt of consideration by the Company), the Plan and outstanding rights will be appropriately adjusted in the class(es) and maximum number of shares subject to the Plan and the class(es) and number of shares and price per share of stock subject to outstanding rights. Such adjustments shall be made by the Board or the Committee, the determination of which shall be final, binding and conclusive. (The conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated as a “transaction not involving the receipt of consideration by the Company.”)

(b) In the event of: (1) a dissolution or liquidation of the Company; (2) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation; (3) a reverse merger in which the Company is the surviving corporation but the shares of the Company’s Common Stock outstanding immediately preceding the merger are converted by virtue of the merger into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise; or (4) the acquisition by any person, entity or group within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act or any comparable successor provisions (excluding any employee benefit plan, or related trust, sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company) of the beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, or comparable successor rule) of securities of the Company representing at least fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power entitled to vote in the election of directors, then, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion (i) any surviving or acquiring corporation may assume outstanding rights or substitute similar rights for those under the Plan, (ii) such rights may continue in full force and effect, or (iii) participants’ accumulated payroll deductions may be used to purchase Common Stock immediately prior to the transaction described above and the participants’ rights under the ongoing Offering terminated.

(a) The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend the Plan. However, except as provided in Section 12 relating to adjustments upon changes in stock, no amendment shall be effective unless approved by the stockholders of the Company to the extent stockholder approval is necessary for the Plan to satisfy the requirements of Section 423 of the Code, Rule 16b-3 or any Nasdaq or securities exchange listing requirements.

(c) It is expressly contemplated that the Board may amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable to provide employees with the maximum benefits provided or to be provided under the provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating to employee stock purchase plans and/or to bring the Plan and/or rights granted under it into compliance therewith.

(d) Rights and obligations under any rights granted before amendment of the Plan shall not be impaired by any amendment of the Plan, except with the consent of the person to whom such rights were granted, or except as necessary to comply with any laws or governmental regulations, or except as necessary to ensure that the Plan and/or rights granted under the Plan comply with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.

(a) A participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any shares and cash, if any, from the participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such participant’s death subsequent to the end of an Offering but prior to delivery to the participant of such shares and cash. In addition, a participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such participant’s death during an Offering.

(b) The participant may change such designation of beneficiary at any time by written notice. In the event of the death of a participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under the Plan who is living at the time of such participant’s death, the Company shall deliver such shares and/or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of the participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its sole discretion, may deliver such shares and/or cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate.

(a) The Board in its discretion may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. Unless sooner terminated, the Plan shall terminate at the time that all of the shares subject to the Plan’s share reserve, as increased and/or adjusted from time to time, have been issued under the terms of the Plan. No rights may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.

(b) Rights and obligations under any rights granted while the Plan is in effect shall not be impaired by suspension or termination of the Plan, except as expressly provided in the Plan or with the consent of the person to whom such rights were granted, or except as necessary to comply with any laws or governmental regulation, or except as necessary to ensure that the Plan and/or rights granted under the 423(b) Plan comply with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.

The Plan shall become effective on the same day that the Company’s initial public offering of shares of common stock becomes effective (the “Effective Date”), but no rights granted under the Plan shall be exercised unless and until the Plan has been approved by the stockholders of the Company within twelve (12) months before or after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board or the Committee, which date may be prior to the Effective Date.

1 The initial 500,000 shares were automatically increased on January 30, 2000 by 772,385 shares to 1,272,385 shares. This number was adjusted to 1,544,770 shares pursuant to the 2-for-1 stock split on June 26, 2000. The number of shares was automatically increased again on January 28, 2001 by 1,663,657, at which time a total of 4,208,427 shares were reserved for issuance under the Plan. This number was adjusted to 8,416,854 shares pursuant to the 2-for-1 stock split on September 11, 2001. The number of shares was automatically increased on January 27, 2002 by 3,681,673 shares, at which time a total of 12,098,527 shares were reserved for issuance under the Plan. The number of shares was automatically increased on January 26, 2003 by 3,582,825 shares, at which time a total of 15,681,352 shares were reserved for issuance under the Plan. The number of shares was automatically increased on January 25, 2004 by 3,518,462 shares, at which time a total of 19,199,814 shares were reserved for issuance under the Plan. The number of shares was automatically increased on January 30, 2005 by 3,551,702 shares, at which time a total of 22,751,516 shares were reserved for issuance under the Plan. The number of shares was automatically increased on January 29, 2006 by 3,248,484 shares, at which time a total of 26,000,000 shares were reserved for issuance under the Plan. This number was adjusted to 52,000,000 shares pursuant to the 2-for-1 stock split on April 6, 2006. This number was adjusted again to 77,999,999 shares pursuant to the 3-for-2 stock split on September 10, 2007.

2 The initial 6,500,000 shares were adjusted to 13,000,000 shares pursuant to the 2-for-1 stock split on June 26, 2000; then adjusted to 26,000,000 shares pursuant to the 2-for-1 stock split on September 11, 2001; then adjusted to 52,000,000 shares pursuant to the 2-for-1 stock split on April 6, 2006; then adjusted again to 77,999,999 shares pursuant to the 3-for-2 stock split on September 10, 2007.

	EXHIBIT 10.2