Meta Platforms Inc. posts record earnings, bets $135 billion on AI investment this year

The Financial News, New York City –Meta Platforms Inc. reported record fourth-quarter revenue last year, reaffirming its aggressive artificial intelligence (AI) investment strategy. The company signaled its intention to accelerate the expansion of its AI infrastructure by outlining Capital Expenditures (CapEx) of up to $135 billion in 2026.
The CapEx plan Meta Platforms Inc. presented for 2026 is about 20% higher than Wall Street’s expectations and nearly double last year’s investment. Despite the heavy spending, investors are broadly welcoming the plan. This stands in contrast to last year, when there was strong caution over rising costs.
Meta Platforms Inc. announced on the 28th (local time) that its revenue for the fourth quarter of last year (October to December) reached $59.89 billion, up 24% from a year earlier. The figure beat the market consensus of $58.59 billion compiled by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).
Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg stated that the company plans to build new data centers around the world and roll out next-generation AI models, while embedding AI more deeply across its core advertising business.
On a conference call following the earnings release, Zuckerberg said, "In 2025, we will have rebuilt the foundations of our AI program," adding, "Over the next several months, we will begin to roll out new models and products in earnest." He emphasized, "The first model itself will be important, but more than anything, it will be a moment that shows just how fast a trajectory we are on."
In step with its expanded AI investment, Meta Platforms Inc. is also reorganizing its structure and bringing in outside talent. Earlier this month, the company hired former The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (Goldman Sachs) partner Dina Powell McCormick as its new president, tasking her with overseeing the financing and construction of data centers in cooperation with governments around the world.
Meta Platforms Inc. has also launched a top-level initiative called "Meta Compute." The organization is dedicated to securing the massive amounts of power needed to run its AI models and social media services.
Zuckerberg said, "Over this decade, we plan to build tens of gigawatts of infrastructure, and over the longer term, hundreds of gigawatts or more," adding, "How we design it, invest in it, and build partnerships around it will be a core source of Meta’s strategic advantage."
Industry attention is now focused on Meta Platforms Inc.’s next-generation AI models. It has been about eight months since Meta acquired a 49% stake in Scale AI and brought in Alexandr Wang as its chief AI officer, yet a successor to Llama 4 has not been unveiled.
Llama 4 fell short of expectations last year, prompting a reorganization of Meta Platforms Inc.’s AI division and the launch of Meta Superintelligence Labs. Internally, however, new models codenamed "Avocado" and "Mango" are expected to be released in the first half of this year.
pride@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter