Nvidia Backs Massive OpenAI Data Center With $105B Guarantee

Nvidia has agreed to guarantee up to 105 billion dollars in lease obligations for a massive new data center campus in Pike County, Ohio. The facility is being built by SB Energy for OpenAI, with plans to provide an initial 4.25 gigawatts of compute capacity. This power will support the infrastructure needed to run advanced AI systems.

Under this deal, Nvidia serves as a backstop. If OpenAI faces financial trouble or misses rent payments, Nvidia covers the difference between the guaranteed lease value and what the facility owner recovers. OpenAI has agreed to reimburse Nvidia for any such payments, and the guarantee is set to expire once OpenAI reaches a strong enough credit rating to handle the leases on its own.

Beyond this guarantee, Nvidia is investing 1.5 billion dollars directly into SB Energy. The project is a long term commitment, with capacity expected to roll out in phases starting in 2028. Nvidia will act as the exclusive compute provider for the site, using its full stack DSX platform to power the campus.

This move highlights how tech giants are racing to secure physical infrastructure like land and power to fuel AI development. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang noted that these resources are vital for scaling AI factories. By securing these long term assets, Nvidia ensures its hardware remains central to the future of high performance computing.