**Trump Unveils Stargate: A Major AI Infrastructure Initiative**
One of President Donald Trump’s initial announcements is Stargate, a new collaborative venture aimed at unlocking up to $500 billion in private sector investment to support AI infrastructure, generate over 100,000 jobs, and ensure the US maintains its competitive edge against rapidly advancing rivals like China.
**What is Stargate?**
According to Trump, Stargate is poised to be the largest AI infrastructure project in history, with a planned investment of $500 billion to develop a network of data centers and computing infrastructure essential for advancing artificial intelligence. Trump claims the initiative will create more than 100,000 jobs “almost immediately.” Oracle CEO Larry Ellison mentioned that 20 data centers, each covering half a million square feet, will be constructed over the next five years, with initial work reportedly already underway in Texas.
**Key Players Involved**
Stargate will unite major players including OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank, and UAE-based investment firm MGX. The CEOs of SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle collectively hold a net worth exceeding $400 billion and were all present at Trump’s inauguration. While the financial specifics of Stargate’s ownership structure remain undisclosed, Masayoshi Son, the billionaire founder of SoftBank, is set to serve as its chairman. Key technology partners for the project include Nvidia, Oracle, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Arm.
**Elon Musk’s Response**
Elon Musk, who has become one of Trump’s close advisors, quickly criticized the announcement, likely due to the absence of his companies in the initiative. Musk stated on X, the social media platform he owns, “They don’t actually have the money. SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.” In response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman countered Musk’s claim, asserting, “wrong, as you surely know.” Altman invited Musk to visit the first site already under construction, emphasizing the project’s benefits for the country, despite potential conflicts with Musk’s business interests.
Musk, who founded his own AI company, xAI, has a long-standing public feud with OpenAI and Altman, dating back to 2015 when he helped establish OpenAI but later distanced himself, claiming it strayed from its original mission. In March, Musk and xAI filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for breach of contract, which Musk later withdrew. In August, he initiated a separate lawsuit against Altman, which is still ongoing.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella commented on the situation, stating, “all I know is I’m good for my $80 billion.”
