Georgia residents sue OpenAI, accusing it of secretly advancing a $20 billion data center

According to Tom's Hardware, residents of Effingham County, Georgia, have sued OpenAI and local county officials, accusing them of secretly advancing a data center worth approximately $20 billion. The lawsuit is based on Georgia's extortion law, allowing the plaintiffs to seek triple actual damages, while also raising claims of fraud and conspiracy. The complaint states that the head of the county's industrial development authority signed a non-disclosure agreement with OpenAI in October 2025, about nine months before the project's public announcement.

The complaint also alleges that the industrial development authority approved the arrangements with only Project Gateway listed on the agenda, and that the county commissioner allegedly skipped two statutory hearings when changing the zoning for industrial land. Local reports indicate that the project is named Project Camellia, which is proposed to be built by OpenAI's affiliate Octans GA on approximately 1,440 acres of land in the Savannah Gateway Industrial Park. The complaint was filed in Effingham County State Court on November 6, with plaintiffs Michelle Finch-Mincey, Lehman Mincey Jr., and Raymond Carver. A spokesperson for the county commission stated that they would not comment on pending litigation.