The project, costing about $14 billion in development, marks the emergence of a new financing playbook for the AI infrastructure boom. For 2026, it has projected capital expenditure between $125 billion and $145 ‌billion, up from its prior forecast of $115 billion to $135 billion. According to Chief Financial Officer Susan Li, the increase related to higher component pricing and additional data center costs tied to AI infrastructure. This brings us to the question: Does the deal meaningfully reduce the cost of Meta’s AI buildout? Overall, while the venture doesn’t make AI infrastructure cheaper, it makes Meta’s spending program financially manageable.