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Fox News<\/a> has issued a series of on-air apologies after Shark Tank star Kevin O\u2019Leary<\/a> made unfounded allegations linking critics of his vast AI data center<\/a> project in Utah to the Chinese government.<\/p>\n The retraction was broadcast across four separate programs on Fox News and Fox Business over a four-day period, Mediaite <\/a>reported. During a 45-second segment on The Big Weekend Show, host Johnny Joey Jones said O\u2019Leary had corrected his initial comments regarding the Stratos Project data center development. O\u2019Leary had appeared on Fox May 24 to discuss the ongoing furor over his Utah data center project. <\/p>\n \u201cHe made certain claims relating to the opponents of his project. Mr. O\u2019Leary has now corrected the record,\u201d Jones said, adding that the Shark Tank star had \u201cno evidence\u201d that his opponents to the project \u201care funded by China or the Chinese communist party.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones added that the network similarly found no proof that the critics were operating under the direction of, or in coordination with, Chinese interests, concluding the segment with an apology from Fox News Media for the error.<\/p>\n O\u2019Leary\u2019s massive AI infrastructure project in rural Utah has become mired in controversy. While he has defended the development as a critical national defense asset, local lawmakers and conservationists have challenged the facility over its projected 9-gigawatt power demand and potential environmental impact on the Great Salt Lake.<\/p>\n The planned AI campus, nicknamed \u201cWonder Valley\u201d, was originally envisioned as a 10,000-acre data center on 40,000 acres of unincorporated land near the shrinking Great Salt Lake.<\/p>\n As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune<\/a>, Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams demanded that O\u2019Leary reduce the campus size by 75 percent while requiring stricter commitments regarding environmental impact, heat reduction and water conservation.<\/p>\n O\u2019Leary’s team countered by offering a 50 percent reduction, removing roughly 20,000 acres from the total land footprint. <\/p>\n O\u2019Leary defended his resistance to the full 75 percent cut, telling the Salt Lake Tribune that such a reduction was \u201clike me selling you a house, and you get to live in the upstairs toilet.\u201d<\/p>\n The recent issue began during a May 11 broadcast of Fox\u2019s Mornings with Maria, when O’Leary pointed to foreign interference to explain the local opposition. <\/p>\n On that show, he questioned who would want to stop the expansion of the U.S. electrical grid and AI capacity, telling the audience that China was the only adversary with that motive.<\/p>\n Though the network issued a formal apology, O\u2019Leary limited his response to a clarification on social media. <\/p>\n \u201cRecently I appeared on various news programs and would like to clarify that I have no evidence that Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Gabrielle Finlayson, Taylor Knuth or Josh Kanter are funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party,\u201d O\u2019Leary wrote in an X post <\/a>Thursday.<\/p>\n The Independent has contacted O\u2019Leary\u2019s booking agent and Fox News for comment. <\/p>\n![\"Kevin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2208756452.jpeg\")
Kevin O\u2019Leary claimed without evidence that local opponents of his data center project in Utah were part of a coordinated campaign backed by international entities and funded by China (Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Cows](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2275876164...jpeg\")
Cows graze in the area where the Stratos Project, a proposed data center will be built in Box Elder County near Snowville, Utah. Supported by celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary, the data center proposal has met strong opposition from scientists, environmental groups, and citizens who fear it could have a potentially devastating impact on wildlife and the water level of the Great Salt Lake (Getty)<\/p>\n