The Information: OpenAI Weighs Leasing Ohio Data Center With Nvidia Backing

• The proposed data center would be a 10-gigawatt campus situated on federal land in Ohio
• Nvidia is potentially providing financial backing for the lease deal
• The negotiations involve a substantial infrastructure expansion for OpenAI's operations

OpenAI Exploring Major Data Center Deal in Ohio with Nvidia Support

OpenAI is negotiating to lease a proposed 10-gigawatt data center campus located on federal land in Ohio, according to a report by The Information on June 9. The deal could involve financial backing from chipmaker Nvidia, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions.

Key Details:

• Scale: 10-gigawatt capacity data center campus
• Location: Federal land in Ohio
• Parties involved: OpenAI (primary tenant), Nvidia (potential financial backer)
• Status: Negotiations ongoing; Reuters could not independently verify the report

Market Context:

The potential deal comes amid heightened competition for AI infrastructure and computing capacity. The involvement of Nvidia, the dominant provider of AI chips, signals the strategic importance of securing large-scale data center facilities for AI model training and deployment.

This development follows related AI infrastructure news, including reports that SoftBank's attempts to raise at least $6 billion through a margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake have stalled, according to Bloomberg News.

Implications:

• Demonstrates OpenAI's aggressive expansion plans to support growing computational demands for AI development
• Highlights the critical role of data center infrastructure in the AI race
• Nvidia's potential financial involvement underscores the strategic partnerships forming across the AI supply chain
• Federal land location may indicate government support or involvement in AI infrastructure development

The 10-gigawatt scale would represent one of the largest data center projects, reflecting the massive energy and computing requirements of advanced AI systems. This move could strengthen OpenAI's competitive position against rivals like Google and Anthropic in the intensifying AI market.