Nvidia in Talks to Put $3 Billion Into SoftBank’s SB Energy for OpenAI’s Ohio Campus
On August 15, 2026, The Information reported Nvidia is negotiating up to $3 billion of equity in SoftBank’s SB Energy—the developer of OpenAI’s planned 10-gigawatt Ohio data-center campus—with half at deal signing and half at a planned SB Energy IPO, alongside the ~$100 billion credit wrap already in talks.
TLDR
Nvidia is in talks to invest as much as $3 billion in SB Energy, the SoftBank Group subsidiary developing OpenAI’s planned ~10 GW southern Ohio data-center campus, The Information reported on Saturday, August 15, 2026 (Reuters same-day wire). The equity is alongside—not instead of—the ~$100 billion first-phase credit guarantee already in talks (filed here under Aug 14). Structure discussed: half the $3 billion at signing, half in a planned SB Energy IPO. Talks, not a signed deal. No Nvidia or OpenAI newsroom confirmation.
What is new vs Friday
| Piece | Aug 14 file (nvidia-openai-ohio-credit-guarantee) |
Aug 15 exclusive |
|---|---|---|
| Instrument | Credit backstop / guarantee on the campus lease | Equity in the power developer |
| Counterparty | OpenAI lease | SB Energy (SoftBank) |
| Scale | Cut from ~$250B (Jul 26) toward <$120B / ~$100B first phase | Up to $3 billion |
| Timing of cash | Guarantee as project phases | 50% at sign / 50% at SB Energy IPO |
This is a distinct financing line: owning a slice of the energy company that will power the 10 GW site, not just wrapping the tenant’s lease. Do not fold it into Friday’s guarantee cut.
Limits: people familiar; no 8-K; could still fall through; dollar split is “discussed,” not term-sheet public.
Why this story matters
The Ohio campus is becoming a three-layer stack—OpenAI as tenant, SB Energy as power developer, Nvidia as both chip vendor and would-be equity/credit partner. A $3 billion check into SoftBank’s energy arm plus a nine-figure credit wrap is circular-financing with a new twist: Nvidia helping capitalize the utility that will sell power to the customer that will buy more GPUs. Watch: whether the IPO half actually prices, CFIUS/energy-regulator review, and how this sits next to Nvidia’s Aug 10 $500 billion compute-financing MOUs.
Sources
- Reuters: Nvidia eyes investing $3 billion in SB Energy under OpenAI data center deal, Information says (August 15, 2026)
- The Information: Nvidia in Talks to Invest $3 Billion in SB Energy as Part of OpenAI Data Center Deal (August 15–16, 2026)
- Times of AI:
nvidia-openai-ohio-credit-guarantee(August 14, 2026)