Nvidia Hires OpenAI's Former Data Center Chief Chris Malone

Nvidia has hired Chris Malone, OpenAI's former head of data centers, in a strategic move that underscores the tightening collaboration between the world's leading AI chipmaker and premier AI research lab. The move comes as both firms are central to the build-out of massive new computing infrastructure required to power advanced artificial intelligence models.

Key Hire Details

According to his LinkedIn profile, Malone joined Nvidia this month as Vice President of the company's DSX Platform. This division is responsible for helping Nvidia's customers design and construct AI data centers built to the chipmaker's specifications.

Malone departed OpenAI in August amid a series of executive departures at the company. His previous experience includes leading data center infrastructure at both Meta and Google, giving him deep expertise in building and scaling the massive physical operations that underpin cloud computing and AI.

Strategic Significance

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The hiring highlights the critical importance of specialized talent in the race to secure AI dominance. Malone's role at Nvidia will directly support the deployment of the company's hardware, which is essential for training and running large AI systems like those developed by OpenAI.

This personnel move follows a significant business arrangement between the two companies. In August, Nvidia agreed to provide $105 billion in credit support for a 10-gigawatt data center in Ohio. The facility, developed by SB Energy on behalf of OpenAI, will be leased by the AI firm and filled with billions of dollars worth of Nvidia chips.

Broader Context

Malone had joined OpenAI in March 2025, not long after it announced its ambitious "Stargate" project with Oracle and SoftBank to build out its computing capacity. The source also noted that OpenAI is reportedly planning to go public in 2027, a period during which executive stability and infrastructure scaling are paramount.