‘Shark Tank’ Mogul Kevin O’Leary Enrages Red State Residents With Latest Move

Box Elder County, a rural stretch of northern Utah with a population of roughly 64,100, became the latest American community to fracture over the question of whether the promises attached to massive AI infrastructure projects outweigh their costs.

On Monday, commissioners advanced O’Leary’s proposed “hyperscale” data center campus over the furious objections of hundreds of residents who packed a fairgrounds facility in Tremonton.

The venue swapped out from the commission’s normal chambers specifically because officials expected an unusually large crowd.

They got one. Demonstrators filled the room, spilled into the hallways, and pushed out into the parking lot. Chants of “Shame! Shame! Shame!” echoed through the building as commissioners cast their votes. The confrontations with officials continued well after the meeting ended.