It’s hard to miss the ever-growing campus of Switch alongside the 215 in the Southwest Valley. The buildings make an eye-catching impression with bright pops of red against pale shades of grey — almost like an Air Jordan reimagined as architecture. Business must be good, right? But what’s it all about?
🔌 Flipping the Switch
Self-described as the "Fort Knox of data,” Switch designs and operates data centers in not only Las Vegas, but Reno, Atlanta, Grand Rapids, Austin, and Houston. The business is all about the storage and protection of high-volume digital data, but has branched further out into AI infrastructure and high-density computing over the years. Clients include big names like Google, ebay, FedEx, and on a local level, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and even the City of Henderson.
🔐 Tight Security
Switch has a reputation for being a high-security compound with rumours of military-style protection, including drones and even the recruitment of former Navy Seals to hold the digital fort down. However, the company keeps tight-lipped on security details, preferring to neither confirm or deny the gossip.
🤔 Who’s Behind This?
Switch was founded by Rob Roy (yes … real name) in 2000, based on his own patented tech innovations. The company went public in 2017, raising $531 million in an IPO, but went private again when it was acquired by DigitalBridge for $11 billion in 2022. There has been talk about offering another IPO with a value estimated at $40 billion in 2024. The figure would surely be higher today as stocks related to AI are booming — but are arguably overvalued. Switch could easily cash in now, but might be better off in the long run by waiting for things to settle down first.
👍 Is Switch Good or Bad? 👎
A general wave of resentment against data centers is growing across the country. (Boulder City is fighting one now and Reno is pausing on approving more.) But Switch isn’t quite the resource-sucker others are. The headquarters and “The Core” Las Vegas campus add up to more than 2 million square feet — and it’s all powered by the company’s own solar power operation in North Las Vegas. The panels alone cover 275 NFL football fields. Switch also uses 100% recycled water in its data centers while claiming to replenish and restore up to two times more water than it uses for a net-positive result.
- Nevada laws are still struggling to keep up with the data center boom. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
