The Stargate Project

The Stargate Project is the public-facing name of Stargate LLC, an American multinational artificial-intelligence infrastructure investment joint venture associated with OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX. Its stated objective is to finance and develop very large computing, data-center, networking, and energy projects for advanced AI in the United States and, through related projects, in selected international markets. The venture was formally announced at the White House on January 21, 2025, by U.S. President Donald Trump, alongside OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, SoftBank chief executive Masayoshi Son, and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison. The announcement described a planned investment of up to $500 billion by 2029, beginning with an initial commitment of approximately $100 billion. The scale of the proposal led commentators to compare it with other large national technology and infrastructure programs, including the Manhattan Project, although Stargate is a commercial joint venture rather than a government research program. SoftBank is described as having financial responsibility for the venture, while OpenAI is responsible for operational direction. Son serves as chairman. Oracle, Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI were identified as initial technology partners, with the infrastructure intended to supply computing capacity for OpenAI systems. The project is not primarily a consumer-facing product brand: its principal output is planned AI infrastructure, including data centers, high-performance computing clusters, cloud capacity, networking systems, and associated power and cooling facilities. The first publicly identified construction activity centered on a multi-building data-center development in Abilene, Texas. The partners also discussed expansion to additional U.S. states and foreign markets. Related announcements subsequently identified proposed or planned Stargate-branded infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates and Argentina, while other potential locations included the United Kingdom, Japan, and Norway. OpenAI later described additional planned U.S. sites in Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, and an undisclosed Midwestern location. The venture's financing structure has been the subject of substantial public discussion. Reporting attributed initial capital commitments of roughly $19 billion each to SoftBank and OpenAI, with Oracle and MGX each contributing roughly $7 billion, while additional funding would come from limited partners, borrowing, and other forms of project finance. These figures and the wider $500 billion target represent reported plans and commitments rather than a completed expenditure total. SoftBank said in April 2025 that its first $10 billion contribution was expected to be financed through borrowing from Mizuho and other lenders. JPMorgan Chase later agreed to provide a $2.3 billion loan connected with the Abilene projects. The project has also generated debate about whether its financial resources, energy requirements, hardware supply, and construction schedule are sufficient for its stated ambitions. Elon Musk questioned the venture's ability to fund the announced scale, while Sam Altman rejected that criticism and Arm chief executive Rene Haas publicly characterized the financial support as strong. Later reporting in August 2025 said that the project had not yet raised the full amount associated with the original target and faced uncertainty related to markets, trade policy, and AI hardware valuations. Stargate's strategic importance lies in the attempt to align AI model development with dedicated physical infrastructure. It reflects the increasing capital intensity of frontier AI, in which access to chips, data centers, electricity, cooling, and cloud capacity can be as important as software research. The project's ultimate size, ownership structure, timetable, and international footprint remain subject to financing, construction, regulatory, and technology decisio…

The Stargate name predates the creation of Stargate LLC. In 2024, OpenAI and Microsoft used the term for a proposed AI supercomputer project reportedly associated with an investment scale of around $100 billion. The name itself references the portal technology depicted in the 1994 science-fiction film Stargate. The later Stargate Project adopted the name for a broader infrastructure investment program rather than a single machine. The current venture was planned from at least 2022 and was incorporated in Delaware as Stargate LLC. Its formal public launch took place on January 21, 2025, at a White House event featuring President Donald Trump, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Oracle's Larry Ellison, and SoftBank's Masayoshi Son. The announcement presented Stargate as a national-scale effort to build AI infrastructure in the United States. The headline objective was investment of up to $500 billion by 2029, with approximately $100 billion described as the initial phase. The governance and operating concept divided responsibilities among the principal participants. SoftBank was assigned financial responsibility and Masayoshi Son became chairman, while OpenAI was assigned operational responsibility. Oracle, Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI were named as key initial technology partners. Microsoft and OpenAI also announced a revised commercial arrangement giving Microsoft a right of first refusal over future OpenAI cloud capacity, while permitting OpenAI to use other providers if Microsoft did not exercise that right. Early physical development focused on data centers in Abilene, Texas. The development was associated with a joint venture involving Blue Owl Capital, Crusoe Energy Systems, and Primary Digital Infrastructure and was leased to Oracle. The broader program was expected to expand to more U.S. states and potentially to overseas markets. OpenAI and Oracle explored a possible United Kingdom investment, and a consortium including OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, MGX, Nvidia, Cisco, and Abu Dhabi-based G42 announced plans for UAE Stargate. In October 2025, OpenAI and Sur Energy announced Stargate Argentina, a proposed Patagonian data center intended to become the project's first Latin American site. The planned infrastructure has been described in terms of data-center campuses, AI supercomputing capacity, custom hardware, networking, and the electricity and cooling systems needed to operate them. AMD was identified as a potential supplier of up to 6 gigawatts of Instinct GPUs, while Broadcom was expected to supply up to 10 gigawatts of custom hardware. These arrangements were presented as future supply and strategic plans, not as evidence that all proposed capacity had been delivered. Financing has remained central to the project's credibility. Reports described SoftBank and OpenAI as each committing roughly $19 billion initially, with Oracle and MGX each contributing approximately $7 billion and the balance expected from outside investors and debt. SoftBank later said its first $10 billion would be financed through loans, and JPMorgan Chase agreed to lend $2.3 billion for the Abilene-related projects. At the same time, public commentary raised doubts about the ability to assemble capital at the announced scale. Elon Musk criticized the financing plan, while Sam Altman disputed the criticism and Arm's Rene Haas expressed confidence in the backing. Bloomberg reporting in August 2025 said that the project had not yet secured the full funding implied by the initial target. Stargate therefore remains both an operating infrastructure program and a long-term capital-formation initiative. Its significance comes from the attempt to create dedicated physical capacity for frontier AI at a scale that exceeds ordinary cloud expansion. Its final investment total, construction schedule, geographic reach, ownership proportions, and delivered computing capacity remain dependent on financing, permits, energy availability, supply chains, and execution.

1. 2025Stargate LLC is formally announced

   The venture was announced at the White House on January 21, with a stated plan to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure by 2029.

   Source
2. 2025Initial Texas infrastructure disclosed

   The partners described a planned multi-data-center development in Abilene, Texas, with possible expansion to other states and countries.

   Source
3. 2025UAE Stargate partnership announced

   Technology and investment partners announced plans for a major AI data-center project in the United Arab Emirates.

   Source
4. 2025Additional U.S. sites announced

   OpenAI identified five additional planned Stargate sites, bringing announced prospective capacity close to seven gigawatts.

   Source
5. 2025Stargate Argentina announced

   OpenAI and Sur Energy announced a proposed Patagonian AI data center with up to 500 megawatts of capacity.

   Source
6. 2024Earlier OpenAI–Microsoft Stargate concept

   OpenAI and Microsoft used Stargate as the name for an earlier proposed AI supercomputer project associated with an investment scale of about $100 billion.

   Source
7. 2022Planning for the venture begins

   The Stargate infrastructure concept was reportedly under planning by 2022, before the joint venture was publicly announced.

   Source

A large-scale infrastructure platform intended to provide dedicated computing capacity for frontier artificial-intelligence development and deployment.

• Stargate AI data-center campusesAI infrastructure2025

  Large-scale facilities designed to host advanced AI computing systems, networking equipment, storage, cooling, and power infrastructure. The project is organized around campuses rather than a single standardized hardware product, with the Abilene development serving as its earliest publicly identified U.S. site.

• Dedicated OpenAI computing capacityCloud and supercomputing capacity2025

  The infrastructure is intended to supply substantial dedicated computing capacity for OpenAI's AI models and services. Reported arrangements involve Oracle and other technology providers, with Microsoft retaining a right of first refusal over future OpenAI cloud capacity under a revised agreement.

• UAE StargateInternational AI data center2025

  A proposed United Arab Emirates AI data-center development involving G42, OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank, Nvidia, and Cisco. The site is intended to extend Stargate-related infrastructure beyond the United States and was expected to open in 2026.

• Stargate ArgentinaInternational AI data center2025

  A proposed data center in Patagonia announced by OpenAI and Sur Energy. The project was described as potentially representing up to $25 billion of investment and up to 500 megawatts of capacity, making it a prospective major Latin American AI infrastructure site.

• 2025Adopt a $500 billion AI infrastructure ambitionStrategy

  The partners sought to address the growing computing, energy, and data-center requirements of frontier AI development in the United States.

  What changed. Stargate was announced with a target of investing up to $500 billion by 2029, beginning with an announced initial investment of approximately $100 billion.

  Aftermath. The plan attracted government support and international attention but also prompted questions about financing, construction capacity, energy supply, and the feasibility of the timetable.

  Announced maximum investment. $500 billion (Target by 2029; announced January 2025)

  • xAI — Elon Musk, chief executive of competing AI company xAI, questioned whether the venture had sufficient financing to meet its announced investment level.
  Source
• 2025Expand Stargate-related infrastructure internationallyStrategy

  The partners considered overseas locations to increase access to computing capacity and establish regional AI infrastructure.

  What changed. Plans or discussions were reported for projects in the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Norway.

  Aftermath. The UAE and Argentina projects were publicly announced, while the other locations remained exploratory or unconfirmed in the cited material.

  Source
• 2025Use a mixed equity and debt financing modelStrategy

  The proposed scale required capital from the founding participants as well as external investors and lenders.

  What changed. Reported plans combined sponsor contributions, limited-partner capital, and debt or debt-like financing. SoftBank announced plans to borrow for its initial contribution, and JPMorgan later agreed to finance Abilene-related projects.

  Aftermath. Debt financing provided a route toward construction, but later reporting indicated that the full capital target had not yet been raised.

  JPMorgan loan connected with Abilene projects. $2.3 billion (May 2025)

  Source

• 2025The Stargate Project is announced at the White House

  OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX presented a plan to invest up to $500 billion in U.S. AI infrastructure by 2029, beginning with an announced initial investment of about $100 billion.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2025SoftBank plans initial Stargate financing

  SoftBank said its first $10 billion contribution was expected to be borrowed from Mizuho and other lenders.

  Other
  Source
• 2025JPMorgan agrees to lend against Abilene data-center projects

  JPMorgan Chase agreed to provide a $2.3 billion loan for projects connected with the Stargate development in Abilene, Texas.

  Other
  Source
• 2025Partners announce UAE Stargate plans

  OpenAI, Nvidia, Cisco, G42, Oracle, and SoftBank announced plans to develop an AI data-center project in the United Arab Emirates, with an expected opening in 2026.

  Product launchM&A
  Source
• 2025OpenAI identifies five additional U.S. Stargate sites

  OpenAI announced planned sites in Shackelford County, Texas; Doña Ana County, New Mexico; Lordstown, Ohio; Milam County, Texas; and an undisclosed Midwestern location.

  Product generation
  Source
• 2025OpenAI and Sur Energy announce Stargate Argentina

  The partners announced a proposed data center in Patagonia that could represent up to $25 billion of investment and as much as 500 megawatts of capacity.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2025Reporting questions progress toward Stargate's financing target

  Bloomberg reported that the project had not yet raised the full amount associated with its initial $500 billion target and faced market, trade-policy, and hardware-valuation uncertainties.

  Other
  Source

1. Stargate LLC