Sam Altman Seeks Global Partners to Boost OpenAI’s AI Chip Supply and Infrastructure Funding

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has launched a global fundraising and partnership drive to secure the computing power needed to meet the company’s rapidly growing demand for artificial intelligence development. According to the Wall Street Journal, Altman has been in talks across East Asia and is preparing to extend his efforts to the Middle East in a bid to strengthen OpenAI’s AI chip supply chain and attract new financial backing.

Since late September, Altman has visited Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan to meet with top technology suppliers, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Foxconn, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix. These discussions center on increasing AI chip production and securing priority manufacturing orders for OpenAI, ensuring the company has reliable access to the computing hardware essential for scaling advanced AI models.

Industry sources revealed that Altman urged these chipmakers to ramp up output and prioritize OpenAI’s orders, as the company’s infrastructure needs continue to surge. Earlier this week, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix signed letters of intent to supply memory chips for OpenAI’s expanding data centers, highlighting growing commitments from Asia’s leading semiconductor companies.

Altman’s global tour also includes plans to meet investors in the United Arab Emirates to raise funds for OpenAI’s infrastructure expansion and AI research initiatives. The company recently informed stakeholders that it expects to spend around $16 billion on server rentals in 2025, with projected costs potentially skyrocketing to $400 billion by 2029, reflecting the massive computing requirements of generative AI development.

Neither Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest partner, nor the chip suppliers involved have issued official comments regarding the reported talks. However, Altman’s efforts underscore the race among AI leaders to secure long-term access to computing power, memory chips, and strategic funding as the demand for artificial intelligence continues to accelerate worldwide.