OpenAI, along with SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX, has announced “The Stargate Project,” a planned $500 billion investment over four years to build AI infrastructure in the United States. The initiative, unveiled at the White House, includes an immediate deployment of $100 billion, with SoftBank taking financial responsibility and OpenAI handling operations under the chairmanship of Masayoshi Son.
The project involves multiple technology partners, including Microsoft, NVIDIA, and ARM, with initial construction already underway in Texas. Microsoft, OpenAI’s primary cloud partner, has confirmed that while their exclusive partnership will continue until 2030, OpenAI will now be permitted to work with additional cloud providers. Oracle, NVIDIA, and OpenAI will collaborate closely on building and operating the computing systems.
The announcement has sparked public disagreement between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk, whose company xAI competes with OpenAI. Musk claimed on social media that the project lacks secured funding, stating SoftBank has “well under $10 billion secured.” Altman responded by defending the project’s legitimacy and inviting Musk to visit the first construction site. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, when asked about the controversy, declined to comment directly but referenced Microsoft’s own $80 billion commitment to AI infrastructure this year.
Sources: Spyglass, TechCrunch