Nvidia Plans $250B OpenAI Data Center Guarantee

According to reports, Nvidia is in discussions to provide around $250 billion in financing guarantees for OpenAI as part of the AI company’s ambitious large-scale data center expansion plans.

People familiar with the matter said Nvidia’s guarantee would help OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, lease a 10-gigawatt data center project being developed by a SoftBank energy subsidiary in southern Ohio.

For OpenAI, the potential agreement would mark a major step toward gaining greater control over its own computing infrastructure rather than relying primarily on cloud services rented from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle. For Nvidia, the deal could help secure long-term demand for its AI chips as data center investments continue to accelerate.

The project is expected to cost more than $500 billion in total, including the cost of chips deployed inside the data centers. Nvidia’s reported $250 billion guarantee would cover data center leasing and debt financing, but would not include Nvidia’s own chip sales. In addition, Nvidia is also discussing financing options for OpenAI’s potential chip purchases worth up to $350 billion.

The report noted that Nvidia’s financial support could help establish a financing structure to address lenders’ concerns over the project’s funding. The first phase of the data center project is expected to be completed in 2028, delivering approximately 800 megawatts of power capacity.

OpenAI has reportedly been engaged in extensive negotiations for weeks to lease the site and is among the companies showing the strongest interest in the large-scale AI infrastructure project. The potential partnership highlights the growing demand for advanced AI computing infrastructure and high-performance semiconductor solutions.