Meta’s Latest AI Data Center Debt Raise Could Reportedly Cost More Than Its 2025 Record Deal

• Meta Platforms is reportedly preparing to raise $12 billion through a BlackRock-backed special-purpose vehicle to fund a nearly one-gigawatt data center in Texas.
• The higher borrowing cost could add tens of millions of dollars in annual interest expense.
• Meta joins Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Oracle in tapping debt markets to fund record AI capital spending.

Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta Platforms (META) edged lower in pre-market trade on Friday, after a report by The Financial Times suggested that the tech giant known for platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp could face higher borrowing costs to fund its aggressive artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout.

According to the report, bond investors are demanding higher yields on Meta's latest data center financing than they did just nine months ago. The report follows news earlier this week that Meta is preparing to raise $12 billion through a special-purpose vehicle backed by BlackRock (BLK) to finance a nearly one-gigawatt data center in El Paso, Texas.

It stated that early discussions indicate investors are seeking yields above 7%, roughly 0.4 percentage points higher than the company secured during its record $27 billion "Hyperion" financing completed last October. Pricing could still change before the deal launches, which is expected as early as next week, the report stated.

META’s stock edged 0.6% lower in pre-market trade. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the company remained in ‘bearish’ territory over the past day. 

Meta's Next AI Financing Could Cost More

Meta's financing comes at a time when the biggest cloud and internet companies continue to pour record amounts into AI infrastructure and are increasingly turning to debt markets.

"When you're selling tens of billions of bonds, even a 0.1-percentage-point increase in costs would lead to tens of millions of additional interest expenses every year," one credit investor focused on investment-grade debt told the Financial Times. "It's very significant in the high-grade market." 

A 0.4 percentage-point increase may appear modest, but it carries meaningful implications for transactions of this size. Applied to a $12 billion offering, the higher yield could translate into tens of millions of dollars in additional annual interest expense.

The new vehicle, Sopaipilla Investor, will hold an 80% stake in the Texas project, with Meta owning the remaining 20%. The bonds will mature in 2048 and are backed by Meta's 20-year lease commitment beginning in 2028. The agreement also includes renewal options every four years and significant penalties if Meta exits the project early.

AI Infrastructure Spending Keeps Climbing

Meta is far from the only technology company relying on debt markets to fund AI expansion. In February, Alphabet (GOOGL) issued $20 billion of bonds, including a rare 100-year sterling bond, to help finance its expanding AI infrastructure plans. The company has since raised its 2026 capital expenditure guidance to $195 billion to $205 billion, up from its previous range of $180 billion to $190 billion.

Capital spending during Alphabet's June quarter doubled from a year earlier to $44.9 billion, bringing total spending for the year to nearly $78.6 billion.

Combined, Alphabet, Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms, Microsoft (MSFT) and Oracle (ORCL) issued approximately $121 billion of bonds during 2025, compared with roughly $40 billion in 2020. Morgan Stanley expects global AI-related debt issuance to reach around $570 billion in 2026. About $236 billion had already been priced by the end of May, roughly four times the pace seen a year earlier.

META’s stock has fallen over 8% this year, and is down more than 15% in the last 12 months. 

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