OpenAI's $856 billion computing plan leads AI infrastructure surge
SEC filings and other disclosures detail multi-hundred-billion-dollar spending commitments from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta through 2030.
OpenAI plans to spend 856 billion dollars on computing and infrastructure through 2030, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings and other disclosures reported on October 27. The figure anchors a broader wave of capital commitments disclosed by the largest AI and technology companies.
Anthropic's long-term contracts and expected additional spending reach up to 807 billion dollars. That includes plans to pay Google at least 114.5 billion dollars, Amazon 110 billion dollars and Microsoft 44.9 billion dollars, along with a 161.2 billion dollar AI equipment leasing deal with Broadcom.
OpenAI is expanding data centers through the Stargate project, using Oracle Cloud and Nvidia AI chips at its Abilene, Texas site, and has begun building a 1-gigawatt data center in Michigan. It is also securing computing capacity from Microsoft, Amazon and CoreWeave and developing its own AI chips with Broadcom.
Chip and data center buildout widens
Alphabet set its 2026 capital expenditure at up to 205 billion dollars and plans to put about 60% of this year's investment into servers, with the rest going to data centers and network equipment, while expanding its own Tensor Processing Unit AI chips. Meta set its 2026 capital expenditure at up to 145 billion dollars and is building large data centers in Louisiana, Texas and Indiana.
The spending is running alongside fast revenue growth. OpenAI's annualized revenue was about 50 billion dollars as of September, 2.5 times its 20 billion dollars at the start of the year. Anthropic's first-half revenue was 16.286 billion dollars, about 14 times the same period a year earlier, with an operating loss of 693 million dollars.
Alphabet's second-quarter revenue rose 24% to 119.8 billion dollars, with cloud revenue up 82%, and Meta's third-quarter revenue rose 26% year on year to 64.601 billion dollars. Winthrop Capital Management said AI must prove within the next two to three years that it leads to additional revenue, better margins and higher cash flow.
Quick answers
How much does OpenAI plan to spend on computing through 2030?
OpenAI plans to spend 856 billion dollars on computing and infrastructure through 2030, according to SEC filings and other disclosures reported on October 27.
What are Alphabet's and Meta's 2026 capital expenditure plans?
Alphabet set its 2026 capital expenditure at up to 205 billion dollars and Meta set its at up to 145 billion dollars.
Where is OpenAI building new data centers?
OpenAI is expanding through the Stargate project at its Abilene, Texas site and has begun building a 1-gigawatt data center in Michigan.