Utah residents sue Kevin O'Leary and Fox over China funding claims

Kevin O'Leary and Fox News Media face a defamation lawsuit from local Utah residents and advocacy groups following O'Leary's on-air allegations that they were funded by China. The legal action, filed less than three weeks after O'Leary's public statements, marks a sharp turn for the celebrity investor, who had previously described his 40,000-acre Wonder Valley data center project in Box Elder County as an inevitability backed by state leadership. The suit names Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Gabrielle Finlayson, and Joshua Kanter as plaintiffs. O'Leary and Fox have moved to dismiss the case, which was filed in late September. On Fox Business, O'Leary had claimed that a sudden increase in online criticism of the project indicated Chinese interference, reading names of critics he believed were connected to the Chinese Communist Party. He described the project as the largest data center in the world, powered by a dedicated gas plant generating 9 gigawatts of electricity. The project's timeline accelerated rapidly after county commissioners unanimously approved it, yet officials had received official notice only five weeks before their vote. Local resident Tim Munns, who lives in Hansel Valley where the facility is planned, had long resisted rumors of development due to the area's lack of infrastructure. Munns and county commissioners were initially skeptical of the project's feasibility in a remote landscape featuring salt flats and gravel roads. The development was advanced by entrepreneur Austin Pritchett, who approached landowners about the site because of its access to a 42-inch gas pipeline. Pritchett connected with former Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who introduced the project to O'Leary. Chaffetz stated he would be compensated if the project proceeds, though the terms are confidential. Governor Spencer Cox and Senate President J. Stuart Adams supported the initiative as part of Utah's strategy to attract data center investment and tax revenue. The broader context involves a global rush to build AI infrastructure, with Goldman Sachs estimating $580 billion in U.S. investment this year. This surge has led to faster permitting processes and on-site power generation to meet demand for computing capacity.