Meta raises $15 billion through bond sale to fund AI infrastructure expansion

Meta's latest debt sale highlights the mounting cost of the AI race.

The bond sale highlights a growing trend among major technology companies to tap debt markets to fund the massive capital requirements associated with artificial intelligence, including data centres, computing capacity and cloud infrastructure. Companies are increasingly turning to external financing despite traditionally relying on cash-rich balance sheets to support their expansion plans.

According to a regulatory filing, Meta's bond offering includes $3.25 billion of notes maturing in 2031 with a coupon rate of 5.85% and another $3.25 billion tranche due in 2033 carrying a 6.25% coupon. The offering is divided into five parts, with the total fundraising target set at $15 billion.

The latest debt issuance comes days after Meta expanded plans for what could become a $97.5 billion equity raise, underscoring the scale of funding required to support its artificial intelligence ambitions.

The company's aggressive fundraising strategy reflects the mounting financial demands of the global AI race, as technology firms compete to secure advanced chips, build data centres and expand computing infrastructure to support increasingly sophisticated AI models and services, Reuters reported.

Meta's move also underscores how the AI investment boom is reshaping corporate financing strategies, with even some of the world's largest technology companies increasingly accessing debt and equity markets to sustain their infrastructure spending.