MoneyMay 21, 2026via The Verge AI

Anthropic is paying $15 billion a year for access to Elon Musk’s data centers

Why it matters

Anthropic's massive compute commitment to SpaceX signals the scale of capital required to stay competitive in frontier AI training, while simultaneously validating xAI's infrastructure strategy as a revenue driver for Musk's companies.

Key signals

  • $1.25B per month through May 2029
  • $15B annually for Colossus I & II access
  • Nearly 2x SpaceX's 2025 revenue ($18.7B)
  • Deal disclosed in SpaceX S-1 IPO filing
  • Covers AI training centers in Memphis, TN
  • Either party termination clause included

The hook

$15 billion a year. That's what Anthropic just committed to Elon Musk's data centers—revealed in SpaceX's IPO filing.

Earlier this month, SpaceX and Anthropic announced a new compute partnership that provides access to the rocket company's Colossus data centers in Memphis, TN. Now, with the release of SpaceX's IPO filing, we have more details about that deal, including how much Anthropic is paying to Elon Musk's co

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