Kevin O’Leary calling Utah residents “Chinese proxies” for opposing a massive AI data center project is insulting, dishonest and deeply out of touch.
Utahns do not need to be agents of China to care about our air quality, water supply, electric grid, agricultural land and the survival of the Great Salt Lake. According to reporting by ABC4 (“Utah orgs respond after Kevin O’Leary alleges they are proxies for Chinese gov”), O’Leary accused local opposition groups of acting on behalf of Chinese interests rather than acknowledging legitimate environmental concerns.
Those concerns are real. The Great Salt Lake is already in ecological crisis, with shrinking lake levels contributing to toxic dust and worsening air quality. Meanwhile, reporting from the New York Post on the proposed development noted the project could require enormous power consumption and significant infrastructure expansion.
Instead of addressing legitimate questions about water use, emissions and strain on Utah’s electrical grid, O’Leary dismissed critics as “professional protesters.” That is not leadership. It is a tactic to delegitimize public opposition without addressing the actual issues.
Kevin O’Leary does not live in Utah. He will not bear the long-term consequences if projects like this damage our environment, increase costs, or further destabilize the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.
Utah is not a sacrifice zone for speculative AI expansion and billionaire profit. Responsible growth requires transparency, environmental accountability, and respect for the people who actually live here.
Clifton Wright, Salt Lake City