Perplexity AI SpaceX Acquires XAI for $1.25 Trillion
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Feb 3, 2026 A colossal $1.25 trillion tech merger and the strange new company it creates. Ambitious plans to put AI data centers in orbit and what that would mean for launches and infrastructure. Local controversies over data center power and environmental impact. Timing and financial pressure ahead of a major IPO and how multiple companies might be woven into one strategy.
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Vertical Integration For AI In Space
- SpaceX acquired XAI to create a vertically integrated AI-and-space company valued at about $1.25 trillion combined.
- Elon frames the move as enabling orbital data centers to address terrestrial power and cooling limits for AI.
Orbital Data Centers As Grid Relief
- Elon argues terrestrial data centers demand immense power and cooling that strain communities and environments.
- Orbital data centers aim to sidestep terrestrial grid pressures and guarantee long-term launch demand for SpaceX.
Personal Cost Of Local Energy Demand
- Jaeden recalls living in Arizona where local electricity costs rose sharply as chip and data-center demand increased.
- He describes monthly bills reaching about $700 for cooling, linking subsidies to community cost burdens.