Asia / Middle East, 4 October 2025 – OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has launched a high-stakes fundraising and partnership mission across East Asia and the Middle East, aiming to secure capital and manufacturing support as the company braces for explosive demand in AI compute infrastructure. The Wall Street Journal reports Altman has met with key chipmakers and is eyeing investment from Gulf sovereigns and regional tech groups.
The Push: Chips, Memory & Capital
Altman’s itinerary since late September includes high-level meetings with TSMC, Foxconn, Samsung, and SK Hynix in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. His pitch: raise production priority for OpenAI’s orders and expand capacity across AI chip and memory supply chains.
In parallel, Altman is targeting the United Arab Emirates as a capital source. The report suggests OpenAI is seeking funding to support its infrastructure build and core AI research efforts.
According to the WSJ and Reuters, OpenAI has disclosed internal projections that it could spend about US$16 billion renting compute capacity in 2025, an amount that could skyrocket to US$400 billion by 2029 under current demand trajectories.
Samsung and SK Hynix have already signed letters of intent to supply memory components to OpenAI’s data centers, signaling early traction from the tour.
Why It Matters for Asia & Global Tech
Altman’s tour is more than a capital roadshow, it’s a strategic play in the global race for AI infrastructure dominance. For Asian investors, chipmakers, and tech platforms, the implications are profound:
- Premium access to supply lines
The push to prioritize OpenAI orders could tilt bargaining power toward established foundries and memory manufacturers. Firms that welcome the deals may win preferential allocation and long-term contracts. - Capital markets for deep tech
OpenAI’s ability to attract sovereign or high-capital investment underscores continuing appetite for AI infrastructure. It may help unlock funding ecosystems in Asia, especially in nations seeking to host AI data centers. - Geopolitical overlay is unavoidable
In the balance is export control, chip licensing regimes, and cross-border tech policy. Suppliers must tread carefully around U.S. restrictions, national security reviews, and regulatory scrutiny. - Valuation and expectations reset
If OpenAI secures robust partnerships and funding, it helps validate lofty valuations, and extends the runway for aggressive investments in compute, compressing risk perceptions among institutional backers. - Regional infrastructure race intensifies
Gulf states and Asia nations may now compete more aggressively to host AI compute hubs, offering incentives, regulatory support, and energy subsidies to lure leading players.
Source: WSJ, Bloomberg
