Kevin O'Leary's Megadata Center Sparks Firestorm in Rural Utah

Kevin O'Leary, the television personality behind "Mr. Wonderful" on Shark Tank, descended on rural Utah with plans for one of the world's largest data centers. The project, christened "Wonder Valley" in homage to his own nickname, was designed to sprawl across 40,000 acres north of the Great Salt Lake in Box Elder County—and it was meant to happen fast, with minimal fanfare from the people living nearby.

What O'Leary didn't anticipate was that his relentless media appearances promoting the venture would simultaneously energize organized opposition among Utahns determined to block it.

How the Silence Was Broken#

The development moved with extraordinary speed through official channels. Utah's governor and legislative leaders fast-tracked approvals, and in May 2024, the three county commissioners unanimously approved the project—despite having been formally notified of its existence just five weeks prior. Before that, residents and even commissioners knew only fragments of hearsay.

Local rancher Tim Munns, whose family had owned land in Hansel Valley for decades, grew alarmed when developers began quietly contacting landowners about acquisition. He pressed county commissioners for answers and, finding none, drove to Salt Lake City to seek clarity from state officials at a rural caucus breakfast. No one claimed knowledge of the scheme. It wasn't until a press release appeared on PR Newswire that the broader public—and some officials themselves—learned the full scope of Wonder Valley.

The National Security Framing#

O'Leary pitched the project as essential infrastructure for artificial intelligence development and framed it as a bulwark against Chinese competition. The facility would include a dedicated natural gas power plant capable of generating 9 gigawatts—more than double Utah's average electricity consumption. He repeatedly invoked state and federal leaders' involvement and emphasized the project's speed as proof that "we aren't messing around" with China.

The framing reflected a broader shift in how AI infrastructure projects gain approval: officials across the U.S. have begun citing national security concerns to justify cutting environmental review timelines, streamlining public notice requirements, and fast-tracking permits.

The Defamation Reversal#

In May, O'Leary appeared on Fox Business and claimed that hostile online criticism of the project bore the fingerprints of Chinese agents. He brandished documents purporting to trace criticism back to China, naming local advocacy groups and individuals. Within weeks, however, both O'Leary and Fox News issued retractions and apologies, acknowledging they had no evidence whatsoever that any of the critics—including the Alliance for a Better Utah and local organizers—were connected to foreign funding or direction. The reversal came as O'Leary and Fox faced a defamation lawsuit from the organizations and individuals he had publicly accused.