Meta Platforms Inc. Invests $14.8 Billion in Scale AI for 49% Stake Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
Meta Platforms Inc. makes a significant $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI, acquiring a 49% stake and integrating its CEO into a new AI lab, signaling a major strategic shift in its AI development efforts.
Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) is set to invest approximately $14.8 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI, a key player in data-labeling services essential for AI model training. This strategic move includes Scale AI's CEO, Alexandr Wang, joining Meta to lead a new 'superintelligence' lab alongside a research team under Mark Zuckerberg's direction. The investment marks Meta's most ambitious pivot in AI to date, following challenges with its Llama 4 model and delays in the 'Behemoth' AI project.
The deal is under the microscope of U.S. antitrust authorities, with the FTC and DOJ examining the implications under Clayton Act provisions. This scrutiny revisits Meta's past regulatory challenges related to its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. However, the potential for Scale AI's revenue to double to over $2 billion by 2025 and the anticipated gains for early investors may bolster the deal's justification.
As of June 11, 2025, Meta's stock (NASDAQ: META) experienced a slight decline, trading at $700.45, down $1.95 (–0.28%) for the day, with trading volumes reaching approximately 4.8 million shares. This investment underscores Meta's commitment to advancing its AI capabilities, despite regulatory hurdles and market fluctuations.