SpaceX signs $40 billion Apollo deal to finance AI chips

SpaceX announced Monday that an Apollo Global Management affiliate will purchase AI chips and server hardware to lease back to the company, in a deal totaling about $40 billion in principal payments. Each lease will run slightly over five years from equipment delivery, according to a regulatory filing. The deal underscores SpaceX's heavy spending to meet surging computing demand, which helps fund its Moon and Mars ambitions, with finalization targeted by year-end and leases starting in the first half of 2027. CEO Elon Musk said Sunday on X that SpaceX had "closed" $40 billion in debt financing for graphics processing units, mainly targeting chips arriving in the first and second quarters. CFO Bret Johnsen previously stated SpaceX expects fourth-quarter capital expenditure of $35 billion to $40 billion.