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Meta Trims Employee Stock Awards as It Ramps Up $115B–$135B AI Spend

Recent filings highlight exits by Renaissance and Druckenmiller alongside a newly disclosed Ackman stake.

Overview

  • Financial Times–based reports say Meta cut annual equity awards for most employees by about 5% for a second year, with larger grants steered to top performers and elite AI talent.
  • Management is guiding 2026 capital expenditures to $115 billion to $135 billion for AI infrastructure and data centers, reflecting an aggressive buildout of model training and compute capacity.
  • Fourth-quarter 2025 results topped expectations with revenue at $59.9 billion, up 24% year over year, and earnings of $8.88 per share, supported by stronger ad pricing and impressions.
  • 13F disclosures show Stanley Druckenmiller’s Duquesne Family Office and Renaissance Technologies sold their Meta holdings in the fourth quarter, while Pershing Square reported a new position in the stock.
  • Meta has been reshaping operations and pay to prioritize AI, including about 1,500 job cuts in Reality Labs in January and performance-review changes that concentrate rewards on high-impact contributors.