Nvidia Negotiates to Support OpenAI with $250B for Monumental Ohio Data Center
In a potentially historic financial agreement between two private entities, Nvidia is purportedly negotiating to offer approximately $250 billion in financial guarantees to OpenAI. This is in relation to an enormous new data center project, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on July 26, 2026.
The financial safety net would assist ChatGPT’s creator in leasing a 10-gigawatt computing facility. This facility is being developed by SB Energy, SoftBank’s energy subsidiary, on the site of a former uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, southern Ohio. The overall project is anticipated to exceed $500 billion in costs, making it the most expensive data center construction plan announced globally.
For OpenAI, this deal signifies a crucial move towards owning its own AI infrastructure, rather than leasing capacity from tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle. For Nvidia, it ensures a steady demand for its chips in the foreseeable future. The $250 billion guarantee covers the data center lease and debt financing. Meanwhile, a separate arrangement for chip purchases, potentially worth an additional $350 billion, is also under discussion. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is reportedly playing a role in determining who gains access to the facility’s power, partially funded by Japan under a recent trade agreement.
These negotiations are reportedly in their initial stages and could still either fall through or undergo significant changes. Neither Nvidia nor OpenAI have officially confirmed the discussions.
Source: Reuters via WHTC / Wall Street Journal, July 26, 2026