Data center players commit nearly $2.4 trillion in spending as AI race intensifies

The four largest data center operators on the planet have collectively committed to spending nearly $2.4 trillion in the coming years. Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta are locked in an infrastructure spending race, and the reverberations are being felt well beyond Silicon Valley. S&P Global estimates that data center capacity will need to expand by 55 to 60 gigawatts to meet surging demand, with associated spending landing in the $1.8 trillion to $2.4 trillion range through 2030. The near-$2.4 trillion commitment from these four giants sits right at the top of that range. The numbers are getting absurd in the best possible way Combined capital expenditure guidance for the four hyperscalers sits at roughly $725 billion for 2026 alone. That represents a 77% year-over-year increase. Between 2026 and 2027, the quartet is expected to deploy approximately $1.5 trillion. Goldman Sachs has projected that total spending could reach $5.3 trillion or more by the end of the decade. Cumulative big-tech AI infrastructure spending has already surpassed $1 trillion since 2023, with each quarterly earnings update revealing yet another upward revision to capital expenditure plans. Crypto mi...