18 August 2026

Nine tech firms hide $3 trillion in AI spending from balance sheets

  • Nine major technology companies have $3 trillion in AI commitments not reported as official debt, including $1.2 trillion in data center leases and $1.9 trillion in hardware purchases.
  • Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta now have negative free cash flow, meaning they spend more money than they generate after accounting for these hidden obligations.

How it was covered