How SC data center is tied to a British financier with an F1 team
A data center project by NorthMark Strategies and Valara in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is under construction and has already drawn criticism from residents over environmental impacts and high water usage. The article investigates the data center's ties to British financier Peter de Putron and his company, Dorilton Capital Management, which acquired the Williams Formula One racing team.
The Post and Courier reports on the NorthMark Strategies and Valara data center under construction in Spartanburg, South Carolina, a $2.8 billion, 257-megawatt facility that has generated local "ire" due to environmental concerns and anticipated massive water consumption. The article uncovers the data center's connection to British financier Peter de Putron, via Dorilton Capital Management, which previously operated under that name and is reportedly the financial backer of both NorthMark and the Atlassian Williams Formula One racing team.
Public records and a New York state court deposition revealed that Peter de Putron, brother-in-law to conservative British politician Andrea Leadsom, was the financier behind Dorilton. While NorthMark spokeswoman Sarah Knox acknowledged that "Dorilton and NorthMark Compute and Cloud are both companies within the NorthMark Strategies ecosystem," she declined to comment on de Putron's direct involvement, citing company policy on investor identities.
Further connections were established through former Dorilton employees now at NorthMark, including general counsel Andrew Udin, and through Jones Day law firm's December 2025 announcement linking NorthMark Strategies to its former name, Dorilton Capital Management. A New York state court judge, Andrew Borrok, previously ruled that de Putron was more than a passive investor, with former Dorilton CEO Darren Fultz testifying that de Putron referred to himself as the "Group CEO" of the entire group of companies.
Construction on the data center is projected to continue until 2028, marking NorthMark's first ground-up build. The company has announced a new charitable giving arm, pledging $1 million initially across Spartanburg County, with future quarterly contributions. NorthMark anticipates paying substantial tax revenue, projecting $10.5 million in 2026, increasing to $15 million annually from 2029 through 2045.