August 11, 2026

Meta raises AI data center capex to $130B-$145B

By:
Dallas Bond

Meta has raised its capital expenditure plans for the year to $130bn to $145bn as AI data center costs climb, marking the company’s latest increase in spending guidance.

The new range is up from $115bn-$135bn at the start of this year and from $125bn-$145bn in April. The move comes in the same week that Amazon also lifted its capex guidance by $20bn, citing the cost of memory for AI servers.

Investors reacted differently to the two companies’ spending increases. While Amazon’s shares jumped after its update, Meta’s shares fell around ten percent.

The market reaction came as Meta’s free cash flow for the quarter dropped to $784m, its lowest level in the past five years. In the same period last year, free cash flow was $8.5bn.

Hiring for a mission-critical build? Get a pre-qualified shortlist.

iRecruit.co specializes in construction recruiting for data center, energy, and advanced-manufacturing projects — project managers, MEP coordinators, commissioning leads, and more. We pre-screen every candidate so only qualified professionals reach your hiring team.

Get Started

Success-based pricing · 90-day replacement credit · No upfront fee on single roles

On the company’s earnings call, CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged the scale of the spending. "I get that this is a big investment and it’s a big bet", CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg said in an earnings call. "We see the technology working. We’re happy with the trajectory of the lab. I’m excited about the products that are coming. And we believe that this is going to be a big thing."

Meta also reiterated its interest in becoming a cloud provider. Zuckerberg said the company was "getting a lot of offers for compute at a significant premium over what we paid for it."

The company is reported in early talks to rent its compute to Anthropic in a deal that could be worth as much as $10bn. It also recently hired AWS cloud lead David Brown as it prepares for its cloud push.

For the quarter, Meta reported revenues of $61bn, up 28 percent, and profits of $6bn, down 14 percent. The company forecast third-quarter revenue of between $61bn and $64bn, with the midpoint below Wall Street expectations of $63.1bn.

Read the source

Keywords:
Meta,capex,AI data centers,free cash flow,Mark Zuckerberg
Free Download

Data Center Construction Labor Trends in 2026

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

More mission critical construction news

EPMS in Data Centers: Systems, Careers & Hiring Demand
August 16, 2026

EPMS in Data Centers: Systems, Careers & Hiring Demand

How EPMS monitors power, supports commissioning, and why EPMS-skilled professionals are in urgent demand for data centers.
Cost Engineer Salary 2026: Owner vs. GC Pay Compared
August 16, 2026

Cost Engineer Salary 2026: Owner vs. GC Pay Compared

Compare 2026 owner vs GC cost engineer pay — base, bonuses, sectors, markets, and skills that drive higher offers.
Construction Scheduler Salary 2026: P6 Skills That Pay More
August 16, 2026

Construction Scheduler Salary 2026: P6 Skills That Pay More

How P6 skills and schedule ownership drive U.S. construction scheduler pay in 2026, with salary bands and high-paying roles.
Construction Safety Manager Salary 2026: CHST & CSP Premiums
August 16, 2026

Construction Safety Manager Salary 2026: CHST & CSP Premiums

2026 benchmarks for Construction Safety Manager pay, including CHST and CSP premiums, location and project-type impact.