SpaceX announced on Monday that an affiliate of Apollo Global Management will buy AI chips and server hardware and lease them to the rockets‑to‑AI firm, in a deal that totals about $40 billion in principal payments. Each lease will run a little over five years from the day the equipment arrives, according to a regulatory filing.
The arrangement underscores SpaceX’s heavy spending as it seeks to tap surging demand for computing power to fund its Moon and Mars ambitions. The company aims to finalise the deal by the end of the year, with the leases expected to start in the first half of 2027 once the chips are delivered.
On Sunday, CEO Elon Musk said on X that SpaceX had “closed” $40 billion in debt financing for graphics processing units. Musk added that the funding mainly targets chips arriving in the first and second quarters and would not be a major factor this quarter. CFO Bret Johnsen has said SpaceX still expects fourth‑quarter capital expenditure of $35 billion to $40 billion.
Earlier this month Reuters reported that SpaceX was in talks with banks and asset managers to raise $40 billion to buy Nvidia chips. The new deal with Apollo Global Management marks a significant step in the company’s strategy to secure the computing infrastructure needed for its ambitious space programmes.
