The computer chips that A.I. revolves around need far more electricity than traditional chips. A typical CPU needs about 250 to 500 watts to run, while GPUs use up to 1,000 watts.

Most of that sum — which dwarfed what venture capitalists had invested in other A.I. start-ups — came from Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, and his colleagues.