Kevin O'Leary thinks President Donald Trump's Davos speech just kicked off what could be a lucrative negotiation between the U.S. and Canada, and he's putting his money where his mouth is. The Shark Tank star is betting on Canadian energy and currency, anticipating a North American defense strategy that puts Canada front and center.

Power Moves and AI Data Centers

On Wednesday, O'Leary posted a clip on X explaining his thinking. "I think there's a negotiation starting between Canada and the United States that's gonna be very good for both parties," he wrote.

In the video, O'Leary noted that Trump's speech wasn't exactly breaking new ground. "He basically gave the same speech today that he gave yesterday." But something caught his attention: "What was new was his discussion about power, and the competition with the Chinese on power."

Here's where it gets interesting. O'Leary pointed out that North America's electricity capacity shortage has become a serious bottleneck in the AI data center arms race. Trump's proposal to fast-track permits for power projects rattled financial markets, but O'Leary sees opportunity. "Maybe we better go find out where we can find stranded natural gas," he said, noting that streamlined permitting could slash project timelines from years to months.

The Greenland Gambit and Canada's Role

O'Leary also weighed in on Trump's comments about Greenland, suggesting the president is angling for a deal rather than picking a fight. He paraphrased Trump's likely thinking: "Look, guys, we've been funding NATO for a long time. We want something back in return. It's called Greenland."

But Canada is the real story here. O'Leary believes Canada will be essential to any proposed "dome" defense strategy covering North America. His response? "I went long Canadian dollars today. And I'm going long Canadian power sources."

This isn't just talk. O'Leary partnered in 2024 with the Municipal District of Greenview to build Wonder Valley, a massive AI data center park in northwest Alberta's Greenview Industrial Gateway.

The Canadian dollar has been on a roller coaster, up 4.15% over the past year but down 7.28% over five years. In the past 24 hours, it ticked up 0.17% to $0.7236 against the U.S. dollar.

The China Deal Complication

Meanwhile, Canada's recent trade deal with China is causing some friction. On Monday, Michael Pillsbury of the Heritage Foundation warned that Prime Minister Mark Carney was "playing with fire" by bypassing President Trump on the deal. He suggested Trump's public approval might have hidden meaning, given China's track record on honoring trade commitments.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went further, calling the deal a "grave strategic and moral error."

Last week, Trump actually endorsed the Canada-China deal, calling it a "good thing" and encouraging Canada to pursue such agreements. The deal reduced tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and Canadian canola, finalized during Carney's first visit to China since 2017, where he met President Xi Jinping. Carney described it as a strategic recalibration of Canada-China relations.

O'Leary seems to be betting that whatever tension exists will ultimately push the U.S. and Canada toward a mutually beneficial arrangement focused on energy and defense. And he's backing that bet with real money.