• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war

2

FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’

3

Buffett says AI giants are ‘playing a game they don’t want to play’ in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire’s $31 billion bet on Google

1

U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war

2

FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’

3

Buffett says AI giants are ‘playing a game they don’t want to play’ in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire’s $31 billion bet on Google
TechAI

Elon Musk selects Memphis for ‘world’s largest’ supercomputer site

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 18, 2024, 11:33 AM ET
xAI founder Elon Musk.
xAI founder Elon Musk.Apu Gomes—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Elon Musk is seemingly ready to take a walk on Beale Street.

Recommended Video

Memphis, the home of the blues, is set to also become home to what officials are calling “the world’s largest supercomputer,” which will help power Musk’s xAI. Ted Townsend, president and CEO of Greater Memphis Chamber, described the deal to be the largest multibillion-dollar capital investment by a new-to-market company in Memphis’ history.

Despite the high dollar value of the agreement, it won’t bring a flood of new jobs to the area. The Memphis Business Journal says the number will total in the low- to mid-hundreds.

The xAI supercomputer, says Thompson, will be used “to fuel and fund the AI space for all of his [Musk’s] companies first, obviously with Tesla and SpaceX. If you can imagine the computational power necessary to place humans on the surface of Mars, that is going to happen here in Memphis.”

Tennessee is already home to the world’s most powerful supercomputer, which is located in the eastern part of the state. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Frontier is capable of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 (or 1 quintillion) calculations per second. It was supercomputers like this that helped scientists design drugs that fought COVID-19.

Whether Musk will hold the title of world’s largest for long is questionable. Aurora, which is being built outside of Chicago, will be able to perform 2 billion billion (technically, 2 quintillion) operations in a single second when it is fully operational. That’s expected to occur later this year.

Memphis is hoping to become a larger player in the technology space, and Musk’s selection of the city could give it a boost. Musk founded xAI last year and has claimed that investors have put as much as $6 billion into the company so far.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Jensen Huang’s signature black leather jacket just sold at Sotheby’s for nearly $1 million—and the money is going to young tech builders
SuccessJensen Huang
Jensen Huang’s signature black leather jacket just sold at Sotheby’s for nearly $1 million—and the money is going to young tech builders
By Sydney LakeJuly 17, 2026
5 hours ago
Businesses are experimenting with cheaper Chinese AI models as U.S. rivals get more expensive
AIChina
Businesses are experimenting with cheaper Chinese AI models as U.S. rivals get more expensive
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 17, 2026
5 hours ago
Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI
AIFinance
OpenAI’s CFO: 4 questions that reveal if your AI spend is paying off
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 17, 2026
6 hours ago
Markets may have just experienced their second DeepSeek shock, this time thanks to a Chinese AI lab named after a Pink Floyd album
AsiaChina
Markets may have just experienced their second DeepSeek shock, this time thanks to a Chinese AI lab named after a Pink Floyd album
By Nicholas GordonJuly 17, 2026
6 hours ago
The AI boom is increasingly built on debt, but investor demand is plunging just as hyperscalers ramp up their bond blitz
AIBonds
The AI boom is increasingly built on debt, but investor demand is plunging just as hyperscalers ramp up their bond blitz
By Jason MaJuly 17, 2026
8 hours ago
xi
AIChina
Xi offers AI olive branch to the world, calling for ‘symphony of global cooperation’
By Han Guan Ng, Chan Ho-Him and The Associated PressJuly 17, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war
Economy
U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 17, 2026
17 hours ago
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
C-Suite
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
By Fortune EditorsJuly 15, 2026
2 days ago
Buffett says AI giants are ‘playing a game they don’t want to play’ in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire’s $31 billion bet on Google
Big Tech
Buffett says AI giants are ‘playing a game they don’t want to play’ in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire’s $31 billion bet on Google
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 16, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 17, 2026
14 hours ago
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says 300,000 workers are needed to rebuild American shipbuilding—with jobs paying $100,000 without a college degree
Success
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says 300,000 workers are needed to rebuild American shipbuilding—with jobs paying $100,000 without a college degree
By Preston ForeJuly 16, 2026
1 day ago
26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
Law
26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
By Barbara Ortutay, Alexandra Olson and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.