- Sam Altman seeks global partners to expand OpenAI’s computing power.
- Partnerships with chipmakers aim to secure priority AI infrastructure orders.
- OpenAI plans $16B server spending, rising to $400B by 2029.
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman has launched a worldwide fundraising campaign across East Asia and the Middle East, aiming to secure financial and manufacturing collaborators to address the company's need for computing power, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, referencing sources familiar with the discussions.
Since late September, Altman has engaged in talks in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan with significant suppliers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Foxconn, Samsung, and SK Hynix to enhance AI chip production and ensure priority orders for OpenAI, according to the report.
The newspaper reported that Altman was urging these companies to boost their production capacity and prioritize orders from OpenAI. Earlier this week, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix signed agreements to provide memory chips for OpenAI's data centers. Altman is set to meet with investors in the United Arab Emirates to secure funding for OpenAI's infrastructure growth and research, according to WSJ.
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OpenAI recently informed its investors and business associates that it is expected to spend approximately $16 billion on renting computing servers this year, and that this expense could escalate to about $400 billion by 2029, the report noted, and quoting sources familiar with the situation.
This global outreach highlights the intense demand for advanced AI infrastructure and the growing competition in securing semiconductor resources. By aligning with leading chipmakers and potential investors, OpenAI seeks to strengthen its supply chain resilience and support the long-term scalability of its AI models.