San Francisco Frontiers - Google turns to century-long debt to build AI

The Silicon Valley internet giant reportedly aims to raise about $20 billion overall, a chunk of it by issuing bonds that mature in February of 2126, with lenders so keen for a piece of the AI action that some $100 billion orders were placed for the debt.

Alphabet did not respond to a request for comment.

Alphabet and AI race rivals including Amazon, Meta, Microsoft are investing staggering amounts in infrastructure to power the technology, banking on it paying off.

Market reaction, though, has been mixed with some investors worried spending has gone overboard.

Century-long bond issues by companies are a rarity, and especially for Alphabet which has ample online ad revenue available to pay for investments rather than resorting to debt.

But, the rush to lead in AI has changed the game, calling for unprecedented spending on data centers, energy generation and more.

Alphabet allocated $91 billion to spending on computing infrastructure last year and has told financial analysts it expects to spend from $175 billion to $185 billion on it this year.

Alphabet has ramped up longterm debt to handle the spending surge, issuing 50-year bonds late last year.

While 100-year bonds are not new, it has been decades since US companies have resorted to them.

Companies such as Disney, Coca-Cola, FedEx, Ford, and Motorola turned to such century-long debt during the 1990s.

E.Walker--SFF