Financial Times · TechnologyAug 18, 2026, 06:36 UTC+8

Nvidia pledges $100bn backing for OpenAI data centre in Ohio

Nvidia plans to back OpenAI's Ohio data centre project with $100bn, delivered through GPU purchases and infrastructure investment rather than direct cash. OpenAI leads the project, which will become its core compute base for training and inference. The article is paywalled; construction timeline, GPU specs, and power supply details are not disclosed.

Why it matters: Nvidia pledging $100bn to back OpenAI's Ohio data center ties the two most critical compute players together — a strong signal. Score held back because the FT paywall blocks details on GPU models, timeline, and power, leaving only the headline and summary.

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The only reason to click is the number: $100 billion. But the article sits behind a paywall, and the body copy reveals nothing—no GPU specs, no construction timeline, no power plan, not even whether this is a new build or an expansion.

From the headline, this isn't a direct cash injection. Nvidia would fulfill the commitment through GPU purchases and infrastructure investment, which is a different shape than the checks Microsoft and SoftBank have written to OpenAI. It looks more like Nvidia locking in a massive customer with hardware orders.

I'd discount this a bit for now. FT exclusives are usually solid, but with only a headline and one summary sentence, there's no way to tell if $100bn is a multi-year cumulative pledge or a one-time framework. Wait for the full article or an official announcement from either company.

Source: Financial Times · Technology · ft.com
Published: Aug 18, 2026, 06:36 UTC+8 · Aug 18, 2026