A Nikkei study found Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Oracle carry $1.65tn in off-balance-sheet debt for AI, more than they report. It is all legal.
From the Nikkei report: This looks so bad. It’s often been repeated but eventually these companies will have to pay the reaper.
Today’s AI industry is partly supported by demand generated by circular investment. Nvidia and tech giants invest in data center operators and AI companies, with that money then turning into GPU and cloud usage fees. Actual demand is difficult to see, increasing the likelihood of overinvestment in data centers.
Enron-esque indeed.
From the Nikkei report: This looks so bad. It’s often been repeated but eventually these companies will have to pay the reaper.