Meta Platforms is accelerating efforts to bring in outside investors to help finance its massive AI infrastructure buildout, signaling a strategic shift for a company historically known for self-funding growth. In a regulatory filing Thursday, Meta disclosed plans to contribute $2.04 billion in data center assets to a third-party partner within the next year, reclassifying the land and construction projects as “held for sale.” The move comes as the tech giant grapples with soaring costs to power its AI ambitions.
Meta CFO Susan Li confirmed earlier this week that the company is exploring co-development deals with financial partners to help fund its data center expansion. While Meta still plans to fund most capital expenditures internally—now projected at $66B–$72B for 2025—external financing could provide flexibility as infrastructure demands evolve. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to invest “hundreds of billions” into AI “superclusters,” with single facilities rivaling the footprint of Manhattan.
The push comes despite strong Q2 earnings, where AI-driven ad targeting improvements boosted revenue. Yet the scale of Meta’s AI infrastructure needs—requiring vast energy and computing resources—has forced a rethink of traditional funding models. The $2B asset transfer suggests Meta is locking in partners to share costs, though no deals have been finalized. Competitors like Microsoft and Google have similarly turned to partnerships to offset AI data center expenses.
Meta’s pivot reflects a broader industry trend as tech giants confront the astronomical costs of generative AI. Once reluctant to cede control, companies are now open to joint ventures and asset sales to manage risk. As Zuckerberg noted, Meta’s AI clusters are so large that traditional self-funding may no longer be sustainable—making external financing a necessity rather than an option.