Meta Platforms has finalized a major investment in artificial intelligence startup Scale AI, taking a 49% stake valued at approximately $14.9 billion, Investor’s Business Daily reports.
The deal, which gives the Facebook parent company a nearly half ownership in Scale AI, brings the startup’s CEO Alexandr Wang into Meta’s fold to help lead a new AI research initiative focused on so-called “superintelligence,” according to a report by The New York Times.
As part of the agreement, Wang will join Meta’s newly formed research lab dedicated to advancing long-term artificial intelligence capabilities. While Wang transitions into his new role at Meta, he will remain on Scale AI’s board of directors. Jason Droege, the startup’s Chief Strategy Officer, will step in as interim CEO.
Scale AI, known for its data labeling technology that supports the training of large language models (LLMs), already counts companies like Microsoft and OpenAI among its clients. Meta has previously collaborated with Scale AI on its Llama series of AI models, including the development of “Defense Llama,” an AI tool designed for US national security applications.
This investment reflects Meta’s broader commitment to AI, following a significant increase in capital expenditures for 2025. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that Meta plans to spend $68 billion this year—up from $39.2 billion in 2024—primarily to scale AI infrastructure like data centers equipped with Nvidia processors. These facilities support Meta’s open-source Llama models and Meta.AI, the company’s alternative to ChatGPT, which Zuckerberg said now boasts over 1 billion monthly active users.
Despite the high-profile investment, Meta stock was down slightly on Friday, trading at $692.91. Shares had previously surged 8% last week, breaking out past a key technical buy point of 662.67, though they are now pulling back slightly within a broader upward trend. The stock is still up 18% year-to-date, outperforming other members of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” tech stocks.
