Nvidia Backs SoftBank’s $105B Ohio Data Center Project for OpenAI

Key Facts

In a move reflecting the massive acceleration in AI infrastructure build-out, Nvidia has confirmed providing up to $105 billion in financial backing for SoftBank's data center project in Ohio. According to reports, Nvidia will also invest $1.5 billion in SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy, which is preparing for an IPO, to secure land, power, and shell capacity for the project. The facility is set to be fully leased to OpenAI with an initial capacity of 4.25GW, strengthening the strategic alliance between tech giants to expand computing power.

This massive financial commitment comes as market data shows mixed performance across the semiconductor sector, with Nvidia (NVDA) closing at $225.01 on August 17, 2026, while SoftBank (9984.T) in Tokyo stood at 5,830 yen on August 18, 2026. Per market data, peer TSM closed at $5830.00 on August 17, while AMD and Intel were at $514.39 and $102.5 respectively as of August 14, highlighting the extraordinary scale of Nvidia's investment to defend its market dominance.

Investors are closely watching NVDA price levels, which currently trade near the daily low of $224.86 (as of August 17, 2026 close), assessing the long-term impact of this financing on the balance sheet. While the upcoming economic calendar shows no direct tech-sector catalysts in the next 7 days, the market continues to digest recent US inflation data, which hit 3.4% YoY on August 12, potentially impacting financing costs for such mega-projects.