Catenaa, Monday, June 23, 2025- Meta Platforms Inc. has finalized a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, taking a 49% nonvoting stake and appointing Scale’s CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead its artificial general intelligence (AGI) initiative, the company said Thursday.
The deal values Scale at over $29 billion and marks one of Meta’s most aggressive moves in artificial intelligence to date. Wang will join Meta’s “superintelligence” unit while remaining on Scale’s board. Jason Droege, a former Uber executive, will serve as interim CEO of Scale.
Meta’s investment is part of a strategic pivot to bolster its AI credentials after internal dissatisfaction with the reception to its Llama 4 language model.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has taken a personal lead in recruitment efforts, is aiming to close the AI gap with rivals like OpenAI and Google.
Scale, founded in 2016, provides data infrastructure and custom AI tools for firms including OpenAI and Meta, but does not build language models itself. Its 2024 revenue reached $870 million, with 2025 projections nearing $2 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Wang’s addition brings political connections and technical prowess to Meta, and could strengthen its positioning in defense-related AI, a growing focus in Washington.
While Meta insists Scale remains an independent partner, the deal mirrors similar partnerships by Big Tech firms with AI startups—strategies designed to sidestep acquisition-related regulatory scrutiny.
Analysts say the move highlights Meta’s urgency and belief that its AI capabilities must be rapidly scaled to remain competitive.
