Nvidia pledges $100B backing for OpenAI's Ohio data center

OpenAI plans to lease a vast new artificial intelligence (AI) data center in the United States for a period of 20 years, with backing from Nvidia through a $105 billion financing commitment. The project, located on the site of a former Cold War-era uranium enrichment facility in Ohio, may expand to hold 8 gigawatts of capacity, making it the largest single AI data center.

Nvidia chips will power the data center exclusively. SoftBank and SB Energy, the data center's owner, plan to invest over $4 billion in local energy infrastructure and construct at least 10 GW of new energy generation to support it. OpenAI will allocate $40 million to support local priorities, and Nvidia will invest $1.5 billion into SB Energy.

Despite concerns about AI bubble risks and circular financing, the deal marks a shift in scale for this common industry practice. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the center will generate 35,000 temporary construction jobs and 2,500 long-term operating jobs over six years. The data center will initially have 4.25 GW of capacity, with room to add another 3.75 GW.