Bloomberg Talks Former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg and NScale CEO Josh Payne Talk Nscale
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Mar 23, 2026 
Sheryl Sandberg, former Meta COO and governance advisor, and Josh Payne, CEO of Nscale and builder of AI-ready data centers, discuss AI compute scarcity and Nscale’s vertically integrated approach. They cover behind-the-meter power in West Virginia, balancing renewables and gas for scale, and rapid global expansion plans. Short, focused, and forward-looking.
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Compute Is The Scarce Resource Holding Back AI
- AI progress will be limited chiefly by access to compute rather than ideas or talent.
- Josh Payne explains Nscale's mission is to buy, build and deploy scarce compute infrastructure to unlock AI breakthroughs like automated drug discovery.
How A 30 Minute Call Turned Into A 90 Minute Convincer
- Sheryl Sandberg described a 90-minute conversion from an initial 30-minute call that convinced her to join Nscale's board.
- She cited Josh Payne's visionary leadership and a letter to his management team reminiscent of Mark Zuckerberg's style as decisive moments.
Vertical Integration As Nscale's Competitive Moat
- Nscale differentiates by full vertical integration owning land, power, chips and software rather than just leasing capacity.
- Josh noted they also acquired American Intelligence Corporation to own behind-the-meter power generation in West Virginia.