Nvidia, OpenAI trim Ohio data center deal to under $120B

The reworking of the Nvidia-OpenAI Ohio data center deal reflects a pragmatic shift in how the two companies are structuring large infrastructure commitments. Originally planned with Nvidia guaranteeing $250 billion, the reduction to less than $120 billion suggests both parties sought to lower risk exposure while maintaining momentum on a strategically critical project. By phasing Nvidia's commitment—supporting the initial 5 gigawatts upfront with a future decision point on additional capacity—the deal creates a validation period: the success or performance of the first phase will inform whether Nvidia commits to larger backing.

For OpenAI, the parallel negotiation of a 10 GW binding lease is the company's way of securing long-term computing capacity independent of Nvidia's financing scope. Data center power has become the primary constraint on AI model training and deployment, so locking in this lease ensures OpenAI can run its operations and serve its customers without competing for limited electricity and infrastructure. The deal reflects the reality that AI companies need guaranteed access to enormous computational resources, and such access now requires direct involvement from hardware makers like Nvidia.