OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is seeking global funding and manufacturing partners in East Asia and the Middle East to meet the company’s computing demand, according to the Wall Street Journal. Altman has held discussions with major suppliers in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan to boost AI chip production and secure top-priority orders for OpenAI.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have signed letters of intent to supply memory chips for OpenAI’s data centers. Altman plans to visit investors in the United Arab Emirates to raise funds for infrastructure expansion and research. OpenAI is projected to spend $16 billion on computing servers this year, with a potential rise to $400 billion by 2029.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report, and companies like Microsoft, TSMC, Foxconn, Samsung, and SK Hynix have not responded to requests for comment. Altman is pushing suppliers to increase production capacity and prioritize OpenAI’s orders, aiming to secure necessary resources for the company’s growth and innovation.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: OpenAI’s Altman seeks funds for infrastructure expansion on Asia, Middle East tour, WSJ reports