Journalist Whitney Webb describes a network of economic and political actors centered around Leslie Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein that has grown in the U.S. state of Ohio since the late 1980s. The starting point is said to be Wexner’s development of the city of New Albany, which emerged from farmland and was transformed into a model of public-private partnerships through targeted changes to zoning and governance structures. This model gradually expanded across the entire state, enabling private actors to take over public functions, direct taxpayer funds, and manage economic projects largely without public oversight. Major technology companies such as Amazon and Google are a particular focus, having been attracted to establish data centers through extensive subsidies.
As a result of this development, Ohio has become a major hub for data centers, with a concentration in the New Albany area, where much of the infrastructure is located. This is financed through complex incentive structures such as the organization JobsOhio, a private entity that manages public revenues—including those from alcohol taxes—and channels investments into companies. At the same time, residents report sharply rising electricity costs and cuts to public services such as schools, libraries, and healthcare. According to Webb, many of these projects have proceeded despite local opposition, while political decision-makers have been influenced by financial ties to corporations.
Epstein’s role is portrayed as closely linked to the creation and management of New Albany, including business activities in the area and connections to leading figures in the tech industry. Overlaps between these networks and political actors as well as investors are said to have contributed to the further spread of the public-private governance model. At the same time, initiatives to digitize government services have been advanced, including the introduction of a digital identity for citizens and programs to develop so-called smart cities, while Ohio reportedly has more than 190 data centers, over 120 of them in the New Albany area