OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced on Tuesday that Adebayo Ogunlesi, a private equity expert and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), has joined its board. Ogunlesi, 71, will provide advice on securing the infrastructure needed for advancing OpenAI’s artificial intelligence (AI) projects.
GIP, founded in 2006, is a private equity firm specializing in infrastructure. It manages over $100 billion in assets, including investments in Britain’s Gatwick Airport, the Port of Melbourne, and major offshore wind projects. Last year, BlackRock acquired GIP for $12.5 billion.
Infrastructure is critical in the AI race, as companies need powerful computing systems to support advanced AI development. These systems depend on specialized data centers with thousands of interconnected chips. In 2025, major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Apple are expected to spend over $200 billion on infrastructure—nearly double their 2021 spending, a year before OpenAI launched ChatGPT.
Recently, OpenAI has urged the U.S. government to adopt policies that will help the country stay ahead of China in the AI field. In a statement on Monday, OpenAI noted that $175 billion is available globally for AI investments. If the U.S. doesn’t attract this funding, it could go to projects backed by China, increasing the Chinese government’s global influence.
