Five US tech giants' hidden debts soar to $1.65tn on opaque AI funding
A Meta data center in the state of Georgia. The company's off-balance-sheet debt is about $420 billion, nearly triple its transparent debt. © AP
KOHEI YAMADA
July 21, 2026 02:29 JST
PALO ALTO, California -- Hidden debt at U.S. tech giants swelled eightfold in roughly four years to an estimated $1.65 trillion as artificial intelligence investments ballooned, a Nikkei study shows, exceeding actual debt and making it tougher for investors to assess risk.