Meta in Early Talks to Lease 10 Billion Dollars in AI Compute Capacity to Anthropic

Meta is currently exploring an unconventional business avenue by negotiating a massive deal to lease its artificial intelligence data center capacity to rival startup Anthropic.

The potential agreement could be valued at up to 10 billion dollars over a two-year period, marking a significant shift in Meta's corporate strategy.

The Mechanics of the Proposed Compute Alliance

Anthropic reportedly initiated the proposal in June 2026, suggesting a structure where the startup would make monthly payments to Meta.

Under the tentative terms, both companies would retain the right to terminate the arrangement early if needed.

This proposed deal is roughly one-third of the size of a massive computing agreement Anthropic reached with SpaceX in May 2026.

That prior three-year agreement with SpaceX is worth 45 billion dollars, translating to 1.25 billion dollars per month for computing power.

Meta Explores the Cloud Computing Arena

The negotiations are part of a broader effort referred to as the Meta Compute initiative, which aims to commercialize excess data center capacity.

If finalized, the partnership would position Meta as a direct competitor to traditional cloud giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, as well as specialized providers like CoreWeave and Nebius.

Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg previously hinted at this possibility, noting that external companies frequently ask to purchase compute capacity at a premium.

However, Meta does not yet run a fully operational commercial cloud business, making this a novel operational test for the social media giant.

Balancing Massive Infrastructure Expenditures

The potential deal comes as Meta faces intense pressure from investors to justify its astronomical capital expenditures on artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Meta expects to spend between 125 billion and 145 billion dollars on capital expenditures in 2026, which could double its spending from the previous year.

To help offset these massive infrastructure costs, the company laid off ten percent of its workforce, approximately 8,000 employees, in April 2026.

Leasing out idle server space could provide a direct revenue stream to help soften the financial blow of these hardware investments.

Anthropic’s Search for Scarce Silicon

For Anthropic, securing sufficient hardware remains a critical bottleneck for developing and running its advanced artificial intelligence models.

Compute shortages have previously forced the startup to place strict usage limits on its highly advanced models, such as Fable.

While the discussions represent a potential lifeline for Anthropic's computing needs, sources emphasize that the talks are in their early stages and may not result in a final contract.

Both Meta and Anthropic have declined to comment publicly on the ongoing negotiations.

If Meta successfully converts its internal hardware surplus into a commercial leasing business, it will fundamentally redefine the boundaries between AI competitors and the infrastructure that sustains them.