SoftBank is set to invest up to $3 billion to overhaul an electric vehicle facility in Lordstown, Ohio, turning it into a manufacturing hub for equipment that will power OpenAI’s next generation of data centers, according to a report by The Information. The upgraded plant will supply systems for new OpenAI facilities planned in Milam County, Texas, and other U.S. locations, underscoring SoftBank’s deepening commitment to the global AI race.
The move is part of a broader AI push by CEO Masayoshi Son, who previously sold SoftBank’s $5.8 billion stake in Nvidia to help fund the strategy. In September, OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank announced an agreement to build five U.S. AI data centers under the ambitious $500 billion “Stargate” project aimed at creating a nationwide advanced AI infrastructure.
The Ohio facility will manufacture modular data centers—pre-assembled, portable units designed for rapid deployment and scalable capacity. Production of these units is expected to begin early next year. There will also be a small demonstration data centre built on site.
This investment is connected to a joint venture that was announced at the White House in January. SoftBank promised $18 billion to the U.S. AI infrastructure. OpenAI is aiming for 30 gigawatts of computing power, which is a huge increase. CEO Sam Altman says it could cost $1.4 trillion in the end, and right now it costs more than $40 billion per gigawatt.
