Will OpenAI’s $500 Billion Data Center Be The World’s Largest?

Forbes Published Jul 27, 2026 Reviewed Jul 27, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

Nvidia and OpenAI held talks to spend roughly $500 billion on a data center in southern Ohio, potentially becoming the largest such project by power capacity in the world.

about 500000000000 USD · data center construction and development

Nvidia has discussed providing $250 billion to OpenAI to help lease a proposed 10-gigawatt data center site being developed about 50 miles south of Columbus, Ohio, by SoftBank’s energy subsidiary SBEnergy.

250000000000 USD · Nvidia’s proposed funding to OpenAI10 gigawatts · proposed data center power capacity

The full project could cost more than $500 billion with the added costs of Nvidia’s chips, and OpenAI is discussing a chip purchase valued up to $350 billion.

more than 500000000000 USD · full data center project costat least 350000000000 USD · OpenAI’s proposed chip purchase

Japan agreed to fund $33 billion as part of a commitment to invest in the U.S. in exchange for lower tariffs, with the U.S. and Japan sharing proceeds from power sales at the site until Japan recoups its $33 billion, after which the U.S. would hold 90% control.

33000000000 USD · Japan’s funding commitment90 percent · U.S. control share after recoupment

The project’s first phase is expected to be completed by 2028 with around 800 megawatts of power.

about 800 megawatts · first phase power capacity

The proposed data center’s maximum 10 gigawatt output would be enough to power roughly 8.4 million U.S. households, based on the average U.S. household usage of 865 kilowatt-hours per month in 2024.

865 kilowatt-hours per month · average U.S. household electricity usage10 gigawatts · proposed data center maximum power outputabout 8400000 households · equivalent household power supply

Nvidia announced a $500 billion deal to acquire AI memory supply from SK Hynix, including construction of large-scale data centers expected to come online in 2027.

more than 500000000000 USD · Nvidia’s AI memory supply acquisition from SK Hynix

Meta announced plans to expand a Louisiana data center to 5 gigawatts, with total planned investments exceeding $50 billion.

5 gigawatts · expanded Louisiana data center power capacitymore than 50000000000 USD · Meta’s total planned investment in Louisiana data center expansion

Alphabet announced a major equity raise last month to finance AI infrastructure, with $10 billion of the $80 billion planned capital raise coming from Berkshire Hathaway.

80000000000 USD · Alphabet’s planned capital raise10000000000 USD · Berkshire Hathaway’s contribution to Alphabet’s capital raise

In April, Amazon agreed to increase its investment in Anthropic to $25 billion, while Anthropic committed to a more than $100 billion long-term purchase of Amazon’s cloud technology over 10 years.

25000000000 USD · Amazon’s increased investment in Anthropicmore than 100000000000 USD · Anthropic’s long-term purchase of Amazon’s cloud technology

Nvidia and OpenAI have held talks to spend roughly $500 billion on a data center in southern Ohio, potentially becoming the largest such project by power capacity in the world by far.

Nvidia has discussed providing $250 billion to OpenAI to help the ChatGPT maker lease a proposed 10-gigawatt site being developed about 50 miles south of Columbus, Ohio, by SoftBank’s energy subsidiary SBEnergy, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

That would dwarf the power output of other planned data center projects, including a $20 billion, 3.2-gigawatt project in Effingham County, Georgia, announced by OpenAI last week.

The full project could cost more than $500 billion with the added costs of Nvidia’s chips, and OpenAI is discussing a chip purchase valued up to $350 billion, the Journal reported.

Power for the site—located on federally owned land—is controlled by the U.S. and funded by Japan, which agreed to fund $33 billion as part of a commitment to invest in the U.S. in exchange for lower tariffs.

Japan and the U.S. would share proceeds from power sales at the site until Japan recoups its $33 billion, after which the U.S. would hold 90% control.

The project’s first phase is expected to be completed by 2028 with around 800 megawatts of power.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is reportedly involved in deciding which companies will receive access to power at the site. Anthropic, Microsoft and Google have also spoken to Lutnick about interest in the site.

The average U.S. household used 865 kilowatt-hours per month in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration, meaning the proposed data center's maximum 10 gigawatt output would be enough to power roughly 8.4 million homes.

More than $500 billion. That’s the size of Nvidia’s deal to acquire AI memory supply from SK Hynix, the company announced Friday. Nvidia said the transaction includes the construction of large-scale data centers expected to come online in 2027.

Nvidia’s potential funding for OpenAI’s data center could become the latest multibillion-dollar AI-related transaction involving mega-cap firms this year. Meta announced plans to expand a Louisiana data center to 5 gigawatts, with total planned investments exceeding $50 billion. Alphabet announced a major equity raise last month to finance AI infrastructure, with $10 billion of the $80 billion planned capital raise coming from Berkshire Hathaway. In April, Amazon agreed to increase its investment in Anthropic to $25 billion, while Anthropic committed to a more than $100 billion long-term purchase of Amazon’s cloud technology over 10 years.

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