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NVIDIA in Talks to Back $250 Billion Guarantee for OpenAI's Ohio Data Center

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EffectStory 編輯部Editorial Team
Published · Updated
According to CNA, NVIDIA (輝達) is negotiating a roughly $250 billion guarantee for OpenAI's 10 GW SoftBank (軟銀) data center in Ohio; CNA and UDN both place the project's total cost, including chips, above $500 billion.

How large is the guarantee NVIDIA is discussing for OpenAI?

According to CNA (Central News Agency), NVIDIA (輝達) is in talks to provide financial guarantees of approximately $250 billion (about NT$8 trillion) for OpenAI, as part of a large-scale data center project [E1]. Cnyes News independently reported the same figure in its headline, describing NVIDIA as "throwing down $250 billion" to build what it called an AI moat, while separately arranging up to $350 billion for its own chip-financing arrangement with OpenAI [E7].

What is the scale of the Ohio data center project?

Per CNA, the guarantee is intended to help OpenAI lease a 10 gigawatt (GW) project that SoftBank (軟銀)'s energy subsidiary is developing in southern Ohio [E2]. UDN (money.udn.com) reported that this SoftBank-linked, Ohio-based data center carries a total investment of more than $500 billion (about NT$16.2 trillion), which it described as the largest AI data center buildout on record [E10].

How does the project's overall cost break down, and what is the cap on NVIDIA's chip financing?

CNA reported that once chip and other costs are added, the overall project could exceed $500 billion (about NT$16 trillion) in total cost — which CNA said would make it the largest data center project announced to date [E3]. Separately, CNA reported that NVIDIA is in talks to finance OpenAI's chip purchases for a total that could reach as high as $350 billion [E6].

MetricAmountSource
NVIDIA guarantee for OpenAI~$250 billion (NT$8 trillion)CNA, Cnyes
SoftBank Ohio data center capacity10 GWCNA
Total project cost, incl. chips>$500 billion (NT$16–16.2 trillion)CNA, UDN
NVIDIA's existing OpenAI investment$30 billion (NT$966 billion)CNA
NVIDIA chip-financing ceiling for OpenAIup to $350 billion (NT$11.3 trillion)CNA
Teco-Foxconn North America project harvest year2027UDN

What role is the US government playing?

CNA reported that the electricity required for the project is controlled by the US government and is being funded solely by Japan under a recently reached trade agreement, and that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (盧特尼克) is personally involved in deciding how that power is allocated [E4]. This power-allocation role applies directly to the 10 GW Ohio project that OpenAI is seeking to lease via SoftBank [E2].

What is the existing investment relationship between NVIDIA and OpenAI?

CNA reported that NVIDIA has already invested $30 billion (about NT$966 billion) in OpenAI, separate from the new financing talks [E5]. That existing stake sits alongside the newly reported $250 billion guarantee discussion, meaning the two companies' financial ties now span both a direct equity investment and a proposed guarantee for the Ohio project [E1].

How are Teco and Foxconn expanding into the North American AI data center market, and when do they expect returns?

UDN reported that Teco (東元) said its strategic alliance with Foxconn (鴻海) continues to advance, and that alongside deepening its position in Asia, the company is actively pursuing North America's data center computing-power opportunity as global demand stays strong, with related effects expected to emerge as projects progress [E8]. UDN also reported that Teco, at an earlier investor conference, said demand for heavy electrical equipment and power gear remains strong on the back of global AI data center and grid-resilience programs, and that its North America AI data center projects with Foxconn are expected to enter a harvest period in 2027, becoming an important engine for mid-to-long-term growth [E9].

What this means

Across the three outlets cited — CNA, Cnyes, and UDN — the $250 billion NVIDIA guarantee and the >$500 billion total project cost are reported consistently rather than contradicted: CNA's "total cost could exceed $500 billion" [E3] lines up with UDN's "total investment of more than $500 billion" for the same SoftBank Ohio project [E10]. Laid end to end, NVIDIA's exposure to OpenAI now spans three separate instruments reported by CNA — a $30 billion existing investment [E5], a proposed $250 billion guarantee [E1], and a chip-financing arrangement of up to $350 billion [E6] — while the power supply underpinning the physical buildout sits under direct US government control, with Commerce Secretary Lutnick involved in allocation decisions [E4]. On the Taiwan supply-chain side, UDN's reporting ties this same North America data center wave to Teco and Foxconn's joint projects, which the two companies expect to start generating returns in 2027 [E9], placing a concrete timeline alongside the headline financing figures.

📊 Evidence

FAQ

How much has NVIDIA already invested in OpenAI before this new guarantee?

According to CNA, NVIDIA had already invested $30 billion (about NT$966 billion) in OpenAI prior to the new financing talks.

What is the cap on NVIDIA's proposed financing for OpenAI's chip purchases?

CNA reported the financing being discussed for OpenAI's chip purchases could total as much as $350 billion (about NT$11.3 trillion).

When do Teco and Foxconn expect their North America AI data center projects to pay off?

UDN reported that Teco said its North America AI data center projects with Foxconn are expected to enter a harvest period in 2027.

📎 Sources

  1. cna.com.tw
  2. news.cnyes.com
  3. money.udn.com
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EffectStory 編輯部Editorial Team

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