In a landmark announcement, President Donald Trump revealed a $500 billion investment initiative to develop artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the United States. The venture, named Stargate, is a collaboration between Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, cloud computing giant Oracle, and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. The announcement was made on Tuesday during a White House event attended by key industry leaders, marking a significant moment in the evolution of AI technology in the United States.
President Donald Trump called Stargate a “monumental undertaking” and a testament to America’s potential in leading the AI revolution. The initiative is set to begin with an initial investment of $100 billion, expanding to $500 billion over the next four years, according to Masayoshi Son, the chairman of SoftBank. The project will focus on creating the physical and virtual infrastructure necessary for advancing AI technologies, including the construction of massive data centers designed to meet the growing computational demands of AI.
Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, and Masayoshi Son expressed their gratitude to President Donald Trump for facilitating the project. Sam Altman emphasized the strategic importance of the venture, stating that Stargate aims to re-industrialize the United States and bolster national security for America and its allies. OpenAI also confirmed that SoftBank and OpenAI will serve as the primary partners, with SoftBank taking financial responsibility and OpenAI handling operational aspects.
The announcement also revealed MGX, a technology fund from the United Arab Emirates, as a key investor, alongside prominent technology partners such as Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI. Stargate has already begun construction in Texas, which is rapidly emerging as a hub for big tech investments, with additional sites under consideration across the country.
Highlighting the project’s transformative potential, Larry Ellison underscored its promise in medical advancements, including early cancer detection through AI-driven blood tests. The initiative is expected to contribute to significant technological progress while creating jobs and strengthening the nation’s infrastructure for innovation.
The announcement followed Donald Trump’s inauguration, which was attended by top tech leaders, including Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple; Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google; Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta; and Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon. In a related move, Donald Trump rescinded an executive order from former President Joe Biden that had introduced oversight measures for AI development, leaving the nation without federal guidelines but empowering states to adopt their own regulations.
Following the announcement, SoftBank shares surged by over eight percent in Tokyo, reflecting investor confidence in the project’s potential impact on the global AI landscape.
