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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesNo public evidence in the contemporary reports showed OpenAI raising $7 trillion. Reuters reported in January and February 2024 that Sam Altman was discussing a proposed global effort that could require $5 trillion to $7 trillion for semiconductor factories and the power to support AI computing. The talks were described as early-stage, and the figure was an estimate or funding requirement—not a completed fundraising round.
What did Altman reportedly seek, and what was the money for?
Reuters reported in February 2024 that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was discussing a global initiative with investors, including the United Arab Emirates. The proposed effort aimed to expand both chip-manufacturing capacity and the power needed to run AI. Reuters put the potential requirement at $5 trillion to $7 trillion and described a possible partnership involving OpenAI, investors, chipmakers and power providers. Much of the effort might have been financed with debt, and the discussions were at an early stage.
A separate Reuters report in January 2024 described the goal as a network of semiconductor factories, commonly called fabs. A fab is a specialized manufacturing plant where semiconductor chips are made. The idea was broader than OpenAI buying finished chips: it concerned building industrial capacity and supplying the energy needed to operate it.
The reports did not establish a finalized number of fabs, a construction timetable, a map of proposed locations, a valuation, or signed investor commitments. The $5 trillion–$7 trillion range should therefore be treated as a reported estimate for a proposed initiative, not as a budget attached to an approved construction program.
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Which chipmakers were named?
Reuters’ January 2024 report identified Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Samsung Electronics as potential manufacturing partners. “Potential” matters: the report did not say that any of the three had signed a deal to build fabs for OpenAI or committed financing to the proposal.
Altman did not publicly confirm the $7 trillion figure at an Intel event, according to the Associated Press. His on-record comment addressed the underlying demand for computing capacity: “The kernel of truth is we think the world is going to need a lot more (chips for) AI compute.” That supports the broad claim that AI could require more chips; it is not confirmation of the proposed dollar amount.
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How large was the proposal in the chip-market context?
The Semiconductor Industry Association forecast that global chip sales would grow 13.1% to $595.3 billion in 2024; the same reporting described an approximately 8% decline in sales during 2023. Those figures describe annual industry sales, while the $5 trillion–$7 trillion figure was a reported potential capital requirement for a multi-part, global initiative. They measure different things and should not be treated as directly comparable totals.
The proposed scale reflected the expense and complexity of advanced chip plants, the need for substantial electricity and other resources, and concern that AI demand could exceed available chip supply. The reporting did not settle how much would go to fabs versus power infrastructure, how much would come from debt, or how the costs would be divided among participants.
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How does the 2024 proposal compare with Stargate?
OpenAI announced Stargate in January 2025 as a distinct U.S. AI-infrastructure program. The company said the new venture intended to invest $500 billion over four years. Its initial equity funders were SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle and MGX; key technology partners included Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle and OpenAI. Stargate’s announced scope is AI infrastructure, not the 2024 global network of chip fabs described by Reuters.
| Comparison | 2024 chip-fab proposal | Stargate |
|---|---|---|
| Status and evidence | Reuters described early-stage discussions and a possible initiative in January and February 2024; no completed raise or signed financing close was established in those reports. | OpenAI announced the venture in January 2025 and described an investment intention; later capacity figures below are company-reported updates. |
| Capital figure | Reported potential requirement of $5 trillion–$7 trillion (Reuters, February 2024); not a confirmed amount raised. | Announced intention to invest $500 billion over four years (OpenAI, January 2025); this is a separate commitment, not evidence that the 2024 proposal was funded. |
| Physical scope | A proposed global network of semiconductor fabs, alongside power capacity needed for AI; the number of fabs and detailed project scope were not stated in the Reuters reports. | U.S. AI infrastructure; OpenAI’s later updates describe planned capacity in gigawatts, rather than a fab count. |
| Named funders or partners | Intel, TSMC and Samsung were reported as potential manufacturing partners (Reuters, January 2024); signed roles or financing commitments were not stated. | Initial equity funders: SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle and MGX. Key technology partners: Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle and OpenAI (OpenAI, January 2025). |
| Geography | Global initiative discussed with investors including the UAE; a finalized geographic plan was not stated in the Reuters reports. | U.S. program, according to OpenAI’s January 2025 announcement. |
| Later execution evidence | Not stated in the cited 2024 reports. | OpenAI said in September 2025 that five new sites, the Abilene, Texas, flagship and CoreWeave projects represented nearly 7 gigawatts of planned capacity and more than $400 billion in investment over the next three years, putting the program on a path toward its announced $500 billion and 10-gigawatt commitment. In April 2026, OpenAI said it had surpassed the 10-gigawatt U.S. infrastructure milestone ahead of the 2029 commitment after adding more than 3 gigawatts in the preceding 90 days. |
The September 2025 investment and capacity figures and the April 2026 milestone are OpenAI’s descriptions of Stargate. They show later development of that program; they do not demonstrate that the earlier $5 trillion–$7 trillion fab proposal was raised or put into effect.
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What should readers take away?
- The $5 trillion–$7 trillion figure was reported in 2024 as the possible scale of early discussions, not as money OpenAI had secured.
- Intel, TSMC and Samsung were named as possible manufacturing partners, not confirmed builders under signed agreements.
- Altman publicly spoke about the need for more AI chips, but the cited AP account did not report that he validated the $7 trillion estimate.
- Stargate is a later, separate U.S. infrastructure program with its own announced funding intention, partners and company-reported progress.
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