President Donald Trump and Gov. Jeff Landry said Meta's massive northeastern Louisiana project in Richland Parish will make the state the hub for artificial intelligence with a data center the size of Manhattan.
During a cabinet meeting this week, Trump said Meta, the parent company of Facebook, will expand its initial $10 billion investment to $50 billion.
Trump displayed a piece of paper he said was given to him by Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg that showed the center superimposed over Manhattan, covering most of the New York island.
"When they said '$50 billion for a plant,' I said, 'What the hell kind of a plant is that?'" Trump said. "But when you look at this, you understand why it's $50 billion."
Landry responded to the president on X with the following post:
"It is vital for American ingenuity and national security that we lead in AI development. As President @realDonaldTrump displayed during (the) cabinet meeting, the size of the Meta AI Data Center being built in Richland Parish is nearly the size of Manhattan. Louisiana isn’t just a participant in the AI race, we are leading it!"
Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce founder Scott Franklin said the project is transformation for the region and state.
"The president’s statement is proof that the Richland Parish Data Center will lead the world in AI technology," Franklin told USA Today Network. "This project will completely transform the regional economy and Meta will pay close to a billion dollars in property taxes over the life of the project. These taxes stay right here in Richland Parish. New hospitals, funding for better education and endless opportunity is on the horizon.".