OpenAI's $500 billion AI data center venture Stargate is already looking to expand beyond Abilene.

Announced last month, the project expects to invest $100bn 'immediately' on enormous data center campuses for generative AI, followed by $400bn over four years.

The first data center complex has been underway since last year, a Crusoe site on Lancium's campus, fully leased by Oracle for OpenAI. The companies have talked about 10-20 data centers at the Abilene, Texas, location, but the exact scope and timeline remains unclear.

Oracle and OpenAI are both hiring for the location.

In a LinkedIn post, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said that the company is "aiming to secure land and power for multiple locations across Texas," beyond just Abilene. She added: "We’re also evaluating potential sites in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Wisconsin, with site visits happening next week."

Stargate has also begun "soliciting proposals from top firms to design and build the facilities that will define the future of AI compute."

However, Stargate does not actually have the $100bn immediately pledged. SoftBank is set to pump in $19bn, while Oracle and MGX will both put in a combined $7bn. OpenAI is also meant to invest $19bn, but does not have the funds, so is currently raising money - which will likely also come from SoftBank.

That, should it all come through, gives Stargate $45bn. "We’re bringing in additional partners," Friar said.

"We’re actively engaging a diversified group of institutional investors to build a strong, resilient capital base. This is a long-term play. Stargate is designed for decades to come, combining cutting-edge AI technology with deep capital markets and large-scale infrastructure investment."

SoftBank is believed to be talking to Apollo Global and Brookfield about investing in the venture.

"AI is moving fast," Friar said. "The next wave isn’t just better chatbots—it’s AI agents that can work independently over long periods of time, solving complex problems in science, medicine, and beyond. That level of intelligence requires massive compute infrastructure, and that’s what Stargate is designed to deliver."