NVIDIA is reportedly in discussions to provide approximately $250 billion in financing guarantees for OpenAI's planned data center campus in southern Ohio. Developed by SB Energy, a SoftBank subsidiary, the 10-gigawatt facility is slated for a decommissioned uranium-enrichment site near Columbus, Ohio. The total project cost, including chips, could surpass $500 billion, potentially making it the largest data center project ever announced.

NVIDIA's proposed financing structure would involve backstopping lending instruments to reassure investors, a necessity given OpenAI's current unprofitability. This $250 billion commitment covers lease and construction financing, with separate talks underway for NVIDIA to potentially fund OpenAI's chip purchases, estimated at up to $350 billion.

This deal would mark OpenAI's first directly leased data center, reducing reliance on cloud providers like Microsoft and Amazon. NVIDIA, by backing the project, would secure substantial chip demand for years. The site's power is managed by the U.S. government, with a separate investment from Japan funding a natural gas plant. Power allocation discussions involve Howard Lutnick, OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Google. The initial phase is anticipated by 2028, though the deal's finalization remains uncertain.