DEV-TOOLSJuly 21, 20261 min read

Five US tech giants' hidden debts soar to $1.65T on opaque AI funding

A Nikkei study reveals that off-balance-sheet debts at five major US tech companies have surged eightfold to $1.65 trillion, driven by massive AI investments like data center leases and GPU contracts.

Five US tech giants' hidden debts soar to $1.65tn on opaque AI funding

Data center leases, GPU supply contracts raise liabilities at Meta, Oracle, Nikkei study shows

Hidden debt at U.S. tech giants swelled eightfold in roughly four years to an estimated $1.65 trillion as artificial intelligence investments ballooned, a Nikkei study shows, exceeding actual debt and making it tougher for investors to assess risk.

An example is Meta's data center commitments. The company's off-balance-sheet debt is about $420 billion, nearly triple its transparent debt, driven by massive infrastructure spending to support its AI ambitions.

Source: Hacker News

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