New Delhi: Nvidia is reportedly in discussions to provide financing guarantees worth about $250 billion for OpenAI's planned data centre expansion in the United States, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on July 26. If finalised, the arrangement would support OpenAI's efforts to secure dedicated AI computing infrastructure through a large-scale data centre project in Ohio.
According to the report, the proposed guarantee would help OpenAI lease capacity at a 10-gigawatt data centre campus planned in southern Ohio and being developed by SoftBank's energy subsidiary. The project is estimated to cost more than $500 billion, including the AI hardware required for the facility.
The first phase of the campus, expected to deliver around 800 megawatts of power, is reportedly targeted for completion in 2028.
The report states that Nvidia's proposed guarantee would apply to the lease and debt financing for the data centre rather than the AI chips themselves. Separately, Nvidia is also said to be discussing financing arrangements for OpenAI's chip purchases, which could reportedly be worth up to $350 billion.
Lenders have reportedly expressed caution because OpenAI does not hold an investment-grade credit rating, and Nvidia's backing could help secure financing on more favourable terms.
The proposed arrangement reflects OpenAI's broader strategy to expand its own computing infrastructure instead of relying primarily on cloud providers such as Microsoft, Amazon and Oracle. For Nvidia, the agreement could help secure long-term demand for its AI chips as spending on AI infrastructure continues to grow.
The discussions are still at an early stage, with no final agreement reached. According to the report, the terms remain under negotiation and the deal could still change or fall through. Nvidia, OpenAI and the US Commerce Department had not commented.
