Elon Musk's xAI lease deal with Anthropic faces $1.25B/month discrepancy
Musk claims 180-day lease but SEC filing says three-year commitment
Earlier this month, xAI (Elon Musk's AI venture) signed a major compute deal with Anthropic, pledging billions monthly for exclusive use of Anthropic's Colossus cluster. The arrangement was seen as a win-win: xAI gains revenue while Anthropic secures critical compute capacity. However, on X, Musk downplayed the commitment, stating it's a 180-day lease with 90-day mutual cancellation, emphasizing the short-term nature was SpaceX's request.
This directly contradicts SpaceX's SEC S-1 filing from May 3, 2026, which states Anthropic has agreed to pay $1.25 billion per month through May 2029—a clear three-year agreement. The same language appears on multiple pages (F-62, F-96, 13, 146), leaving no room for a typo. Musk's public comments during a quiet period could constitute material misrepresentation. Neither xAI nor Anthropic has clarified the discrepancy, raising concerns about regulatory scrutiny, though SEC action remains unlikely.
- xAI signed a compute deal with Anthropic for Colossus cluster, valued at $1.25 billion/month
- Elon Musk claims it's a 180-day lease with 90-day mutual cancellation, but SpaceX's SEC filing says three years through May 2029
- The contradiction could be a material misrepresentation during SpaceX's quiet period, though SEC action is uncertain
Why It Matters
Musk's conflicting statements could mislead investors and undermine trust in AI compute deals amidst fierce competition.