Pending approval, xAI’s Gigafactory of Compute — the world’s largest supercomputer — would be located in Memphis, Tennessee. Representing the city’s largest capital investment by a new-to-market company in Memphis history, the company would occupy a former manufacturing facility. Approval is pending by the Memphis Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), Tennessee Valley Authority, and governing authorities.
The Greater Memphis Chamber’s economic development team, led by Chief Economic Development Officer Gwyn Fisher and Vice President of Global Business Development, Troy Parkes, worked quickly to ensure Memphis would be a top choice for this xAI investment.
“Our Chamber is built for this,” said Ted Townsend, President & CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber. “In less than three weeks, the Chamber’s economic development team demonstrated remarkable coordination, swiftly providing solutions and rallying partners faster than any other community. From the initial three weeks until today, Memphis emerged as a global nexus where velocity meets potency, which are attractive attributes to the xAI team.”
This groundbreaking investment has also had significant support of building owners, Phoenix Investors, and the partnership the Chamber shares with City of Memphis, Shelby County, and Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW).
“Memphis is a city of innovators, so it’s no surprise that it feels like home to those looking to change the world,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “We get things done here. We have great partners at the Greater Memphis Chamber and MLGW who were ready to make this happen. We had an ideal site, ripe for investment. And we had the power of our people who created new and innovative processes to keep up with the pace required to land this transformational project.”
“I am proud of our work to provide utilities for such a massive project and to do it quickly. The adaptive reuse of a former manufacturing space and its existing utility infrastructure are exactly the kind of economic development we have been seeking for our city,” said Doug McGowen, President & CEO, of MLGW. “The good-paying jobs, the cachet of hosting the world’s most powerful supercomputer, and the significant additional revenues for MLGW this project brings will help support our reliability and grid modernization efforts. These are all wins for our community.”
The xAI proposed commitment underscores the potential that Memphis offers as a hub for business, technology, culture, and community. The company expects to create high quality jobs upon completion of Phase 1, with opportunities for more substantial investment in future phases.
“Memphis is the Digital Delta,” said Fisher. “We are experiencing a dynamic wave of development across various sectors, including technology, infrastructure, healthcare, manufacturing, and education. This monumental recruitment investment marks a pivotal point in our city’s trajectory, and will drive continued entrepreneurship and ingenuity, propelling Memphis to the forefront of global innovation and competitiveness.”
“Historic opportunities like this are born of strong partnerships, and I am delighted that Shelby County Government through our health department and the Memphis & Shelby County Office of Planning and Development has played a significant role,” said Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.
