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Meta Poaches 28-Year-Old Scale AI CEO in $14.3 Billion Stake Deal

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Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has taken a 49% stake in the data-labeling startup Scale AI for $14.3 billion, valuing the company at $29 billion. As part of the deal, Scale’s 28-year-old CEO Alexandr Wang will join Meta to lead its new superintelligence efforts, marking a major move in Meta’s artificial intelligence strategy.

Meta confirmed plans to deepen collaboration on data production for AI models, but did not disclose financial details publicly. Sources close to the discussions said the primary motivation behind the multibillion-dollar investment was securing Wang’s leadership for Meta’s superintelligence unit.

Wang, a Los Alamos, New Mexico native born to Chinese immigrant physicists, dropped out of MIT to co-found Scale AI. He quickly gained acclaim as one of Silicon Valley’s most promising entrepreneurs, achieving billionaire status in his twenties. His influence extends into Washington D.C., where he has testified before Congress and helped secure government contracts for Scale.

Meta’s AI efforts have faced challenges recently, including staff departures and delays in launching open-source AI models that could compete with Google, OpenAI, and China’s DeepSeek. By recruiting Wang—a business-focused leader rather than a research scientist—Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is betting on a new approach to revitalize its AI ambitions.

Scale’s chief strategy officer, Jason Droege, will serve as interim CEO following Wang’s transition. Despite the large investment, Meta does not plan to take a board seat at Scale. A select group of Scale employees will also join Wang at Meta, while Wang will retain his seat on Scale’s board.

The $14.3 billion investment ranks as Meta’s second-largest acquisition after its $19 billion WhatsApp buyout. It remains uncertain whether the deal will face regulatory review amid ongoing antitrust scrutiny faced by Meta, which has been sued by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for allegedly stifling competition via acquisitions like Instagram and WhatsApp.

Founded in 2016, Scale AI plays a pivotal role in providing accurately labeled data essential for training advanced AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The company uses platforms like Remotasks and Outlier to manage gig workers who manually label data. Scale was valued at nearly $14 billion in a May 2024 funding round backed by Nvidia, Amazon, and Meta.

While the deal represents a windfall for early investors like Accel and Index Ventures—who can now sell half their stake—it may raise concerns among Scale’s AI lab clients, who might fear Meta gaining insight into competitors’ data priorities through Wang’s ongoing board membership.

Nvidia CEO Urges UK to Boost Computing Power to Fully Harness AI Potential

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Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang said on Monday that the UK currently lacks sufficient computing infrastructure to fully capitalize on its leading artificial intelligence research capabilities. Huang’s remarks coincided with the UK’s partnership with Nvidia to create a new AI testing environment aimed at fostering innovation.

Speaking during London Tech Week alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Huang praised the UK’s top universities, startups, and its status as the world’s third-largest AI venture capital market. He welcomed Starmer’s plan to increase Britain’s domestic computing capacity by 20 times and inject £1 billion ($1.36 billion) in investments.

“The ability to build these AI supercomputers here in the UK will naturally attract more startups and empower the country’s vibrant research ecosystem,” Huang said, calling Britain “an incredible place to invest.”

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched a framework to enable financial firms to experiment with AI tools in a controlled environment starting this October. Partnering with Nvidia, the FCA will offer firms access to advanced computing resources, specialized AI expertise, improved datasets, and regulatory guidance.

Finance Minister Rachel Reeves emphasized the government’s commitment to removing regulatory barriers to economic growth, labeling it a “top priority.” Earlier this year, she expressed satisfaction with regulators’ efforts to reduce red tape.

Prime Minister Starmer also announced that Israeli fintech company Liquidity Group will open its European headquarters in London, committing to a £1.5 billion investment, further signaling the UK’s ambition to become a global AI and tech hub.

Amazon Pledges $20 Billion Investment to Expand Cloud Infrastructure in Pennsylvania

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Amazon.com announced on Monday a plan to invest at least $20 billion in Pennsylvania to significantly expand its data center infrastructure. This move adds to Amazon’s multi-billion-dollar commitments supporting the rapid growth of artificial intelligence technologies.

The Pennsylvania investment follows closely after Amazon’s recent announcements to invest $10 billion in North Carolina and over $5 billion in new cloud infrastructure projects in Taiwan. These investments highlight the tech giant’s strategy to boost its cloud computing capacity amid intense competition in generative AI and cloud services.

Amazon expects the Pennsylvania project to create 1,250 high-skilled jobs directly, while also supporting thousands more jobs across the Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center supply chain. Salem Township and Falls Township have been identified as initial locations for new data center campuses.

The company reported capital expenditures of approximately $25 billion in the first quarter of 2025 and indicated plans to maintain this spending level throughout the year. It has not yet clarified whether the $20 billion in Pennsylvania is included in the current expenditure plans or provided a specific timeline for the investment.