Key facts
- OpenAI is in talks to lease a 10-gigawatt data center campus in Ohio.
- The project could cost at least $500 billion.
- Nvidia is expected to provide hardware and a financial guarantee for the lease.
- SB Energy, a unit of SoftBank, would develop the campus on federal and private land.
- The first phase of operations is expected in 2028.
OpenAI is reportedly in discussions to lease a proposed 10-gigawatt data center campus in Ohio, a project that could cost at least $500 billion and involve financial backing from Nvidia, according to The Information.
The facility, which would be developed by SB Energy, a unit of SoftBank, on federal and private land, is among the largest of its kind. OpenAI would control the equipment under a 20-year lease, with payments commencing once operations begin, the first phase of which is expected in 2028.
Nvidia is anticipated to supply the necessary hardware for the facility and provide a financial guarantee for OpenAI's lease. This development follows OpenAI's earlier pause on its 'Stargate' data center project in the UK, citing regulatory hurdles and high energy costs.
Separately, Apollo and Blackstone are financing a $35 billion AI capacity expansion for Anthropic, utilizing Broadcom chips.