Meta Platforms Pledges Monumental $135 Billion AI Investment for 2026
On January 28, 2026, Meta Platforms unveiled plans to allocate between $115 billion and $135 billion to capital expenditures for the year. This marks a remarkable 73% surge from the $72 billion expended in 2025, reflecting CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s intensified focus on artificial intelligence investments.
The declaration coincided with robust fourth-quarter earnings that surpassed Wall Street projections. Revenue peaked at $59.89 billion, outperforming the forecasted $58.41 billion, and earnings per share stood at $8.88, exceeding the anticipated $8.19. Following the announcement, Meta’s stock experienced an over 8% upswing in after-hours trading as investors rallied behind Zuckerberg’s ambitious AI blueprint.
Zuckerberg, during the earnings call, expressed, “This is going to be a big year for delivering personal superintelligence, accelerating our business infrastructure for the future and shaping how our company will work going forward.” The colossal capital expenditure is set to finance AI infrastructure, encompassing data centers, computing hardware, and ongoing investment in Meta’s Superintelligence Labs.
Furthermore, the tech giant disclosed a $14.3 billion expenditure to acquire a 49% stake in Scale AI and onboard its CEO, Alexandr Wang, to spearhead Meta’s AI initiatives. For the first quarter of 2026, Meta projects revenue between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion, significantly outpacing analyst estimates of $51.27 billion. This indicates a strong belief in the continued robust performance of its AI-enhanced advertising platform.
Source: Fortune