On Tuesday, Kevin O'Leary alleged that foreign-linked interests connected to China may be helping drive opposition to a major Utah AI data center project through what he described as a coordinated misinformation campaign.

Utah AI Data Center

O'Leary said in a post on X that while local communities deserve transparency and environmental oversight, false claims about the project began circulating after it received approval.

"Everybody living in these communities deserves answers, and every concern should go through the proper legal and environmental process," O'Leary wrote.

He added that permitting for "air, water, noise, temperature, and full disclosure" should occur before construction begins.

He said opponents falsely claimed the project would drain "the Great Salt Lake," consume Utah's power supply, or become "the size of Manhattan."

"None of it is true," O'Leary said.

He added, "We're building our own power generation, following the law, and creating thousands of jobs and major tax revenue for Utah communities."

The businessman said his team investigated what he described as a "coordinated opposition" campaign and identified organizations, including Alliance for a Better Utah and funding networks tied to Arabella Advisors.

"After reviewing IRS filings and conducting audits, I became convinced that foreign-linked money, including interests connected to China, is helping fuel efforts to slow power generation and data center development in the United States," he wrote.

O'Leary Claims Online Campaign Against AI Project

On Monday, O'Leary said his investigation found a coordinated online campaign targeting his Utah AI data center project and similar energy infrastructure efforts across North America, following a spike in online activity and alleged bot-driven messaging.

He said the probe included data analysis and nonprofit filings and linked parts of the opposition to organized activist networks.

Earlier, O'Leary also defended his Stratos project in Utah, saying environmental concerns were exaggerated and stressing that sustainability measures like renewable energy and improved cooling systems were central to the development.

He further described some of the online backlash as coordinated or AI-generated.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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