CEOInterviews.AI
Start App
Try: AI strategy tariffs earnings guidance layoffs interest rates growth

Clay Sell

Chief Executive Officer and Director, X-Energy, Inc.

Search every verified Clay Sell interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Clay Sell, CEO of X-energy, appeared on the FYI podcast on September 28, 2026, to discuss the company's advanced small modular reactor technology. He described X-energy's TRISO fuel and helium-cooled reactor design, stating that safety and repeatable construction can lower nuclear costs. Sell also discussed the company's partnership with Amazon, which he said involved a five-gigawatt purchase commitment over 14 years, and noted the role of AI in nuclear engineering and licensing. Sell expressed concern about competition with China, saying "we're getting killed by China" in nuclear commerce, and attributed recent US regulatory reforms to congressional recognition that technology competition is a national security issue. He outlined a vision for X-energy's success over the next decade, including multiple operating plants, fuel production facilities on several continents, and making nuclear power a routine, easily purchasable option.

Recent appearances

  • Did He Reinvent Nuclear Power?

    October 01, 2026 · 📺 ARK Invest

    In this episode of FYI, Daniel Maguire and Tasha Keeney speak with J. Clay Sell, CEO of X-energy, about the company’s approach to reinventing nuclear power with advanced small modular reactors. Sell explains X-energy’s TRISO fuel and helium-cooled reactor design, why the company believes safety and repeatable construction can drive nuclear costs lower, and how regulatory reform is accelerating deployment. They also discuss X-energy’s partnership with Amazon, the role of AI in nuclear engineering and licensing, competition with China, supply-chain constraints, and Sell’s vision for making nucle…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Intern Asks The CEO | X-energy Edition

    August 05, 2026 · 📺 X-energy

    What happens when you let an intern interview the CEO? We flipped the traditional exit interview on its head and handed the questions over to Mimi, one of our summer 2026 interns. From career advice and lessons learned to a few questions you might not expect, the conversation covered a little bit of everything. Before Mimi headed back to campus, she had one last assignment: put our CEO in the hot seat.

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • ‘REINVENTING NUCLEAR POWER’: X-Energy CEO on Nasdaq debut

    April 24, 2026 · 📺 Fox Business

    X-Energy CEO Clay Sell discusses the company’s Nasdaq debut and how it aims to deliver clean energy to data centers and industries on ‘The Claman Countdown.’ #fox #media #breakingnews #us #usa #new #news #breaking #foxbusiness #theclamancountdown #energy #nuclear #power #technology #business #economy #stocks #nasdaq #market #innovation #cleanenergy #industry #datacenters #infrastructure Subscribe to Fox Business: https://bit.ly/2D9Cdse Watch more Fox Business Video: https://video.foxbusiness.com Watch Fox Business Network Live: http://www.foxnewsgo.com/ FOX Business Network (FBN) is a financ…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • X-energy’s J Clay Sell & Axios’ Chuck McCutcheon

    September 24, 2025 · 📺 Axios

    Axios energy/climate editor Chuck McCutcheon speaks to X-energy CEO J. Clay Sell at Axios House in NYC during Climate Week & UNGA 2025.

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Driving artificial intelligence and data centres with nuclear power

    December 10, 2024 · 📺 David Waddell

    Shares in big tech have soared this year, linked to optimism over Artificial Intelligence. And AI's hungry for energy. Data centres are projected to burn through electricity equivalent to the consumption of Japan by 2026. To meet this demand, Amazon recently announced a half billion dollar investment with a nuclear partner to build advanced modular reactors in Washington State. In fact X-energy is already developing the United States' first plant of this kind for Dow Chemicals in Texas. The BBC's David Waddell speaks to the CEO ox X-energy Clay Sell, who's a former US Deputy Secretary for Ener…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Amazon's nuclear investment 'a game changer': X-energy CEO

    October 21, 2024 · 📺 Yahoo Finance

    Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are emerging as a new energy investment avenue for Big Tech companies seeking to power their AI needs at a lower cost. Amazon (AMZN) is leading the charge, investing in X-energy's plant to manufacture these innovative nuclear reactors. X-energy CEO Clay Sell joins Catalysts to discuss how this move could transform the landscape. Sell notes that the latest funding round has generated $500 million in cash. This capital will be used to complete the design of the standard SMR plant and construct the first fuel facility at the company's location in Texas. Once this ini…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • A Conversation with J. Clay Sell, CEO of X-energy: Redefining Nuclear Energy

    November 28, 2023 · 📺 Energy Institute, University of Texas at Austin

    Bio: Clay Sell serves as Chief Executive Officer of X-energy. Clay has deep professional expertise across many sectors of the international and U.S. energy industry developed through his service in senior level positions in the private sector and government. Sell joined X-energy as CEO in January 2019 and has led the company through a period of dramatic transformation and growth in product development investment, U.S. government funding awards, private capital raised, and customer commitments. From 2008-2018, Clay was the president of Hunt Energy Horizons, LLC, the renewable energy subsidiar…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Tech Voices: Clay Sell, CEO of x-Energy

    October 20, 2021 · 📺 C3 Solutions

    C3 Solutions' Co-Founder Drew Bond interviews with Clay Sell, CEO of x-Energy. Clay has a deep professional background across many sectors of the U.S. and international energy industry developed during his service in senior level positions in the private sector and government. Clay completed a 14-year run in government as Deputy Secretary of Energy in the George W. Bush Administration from 2005-2008. This interview is part of our interview series for Nuclear Science Week! Learn more: C3solutions.org

    Watch on YouTube ↗

The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →