SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – A significant leap in economic growth is on the horizon for DeSoto County, with the announcement of a new artificial intelligence (AI) data center by xAI, the company founded by Elon Musk. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves revealed that the facility, named “MACROHARDRR,” will represent a staggering $20 billion investment in Southaven, marking the largest economic development in the region’s history.
The MACROHARDRR data center will be xAI’s third establishment in the Mid-South, following the already operational Colossus One and Two facilities located in Memphis. Set to be constructed on Stateline Road, directly across from the existing power center on Stanton Road, this new development is expected to provide hundreds of permanent jobs to the community.
Governor Reeves emphasized the broad benefits of the investment, stating that the anticipated tax revenue will support vital services including public safety, health and human services, education, and more, thereby enhancing the quality of life for Southaven residents.
Elon Musk, CEO of xAI, spoke highly of the company’s rapid expansion: “xAI is scaling at an immeasurable pace — we are building our third massive data center in the greater Memphis area. MACROHARDRR pushes our Colossus training compute to approximately 2GW – by far the most powerful AI system on Earth. This incredible execution speed by xAI and the state of Mississippi is something we are grateful for, thanks to Governor Reeves’ support,” Musk said.
Despite the optimistic outlook, some local residents raised concerns during a recent Board of Alderman meeting regarding potential noise from temporary turbines related to the project. Nevertheless, with operations set to commence in February, the arrival of MACROHARDRR offers a promising future for job creation and economic progress in Southaven.