Feb 19 (Reuters) - Meta (META.O) reduced its annual distribution of stock options by about 5% for most of its staff, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg ploughs billions of dollars into its artificial intelligence goals, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
The Facebook parent did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Meta and other Big Tech companies are competing to outbuild each other with massive data centers to get ahead in Silicon Valley’s heated AI race.
The social media company expects capital expenditure for 2026 to be between $115 billion and $135 billion.
Meta has slashed equity-based awards for the bulk of its employees for the second year in a row, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Last year, the company had cut the stock award by roughly 10%, which shocked some staff at the time, according to the report.

METU

Meta has reduced its annual stock options distribution by 5% for most employees to fund its AI initiatives, as reported by the Financial Times. This marks the second consecutive year of cuts, following a 10% reduction last year. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is investing heavily in AI, with projected capital expenditures for 2026 between $115 billion and $135 billion. The company is competing with other tech giants in the AI sector, focusing on building extensive data centers.

- Meta has reduced its annual distribution of stock options by about 5% for most of its employees, following a previous cut of approximately 10% last year.  
- The company is investing billions in artificial intelligence initiatives while competing with other tech giants in Silicon Valley to build extensive data centers.  
- For 2026, Meta anticipates capital expenditures ranging from $115 billion to $135 billion.

Reuters

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Meta cuts stock awards by 5% for most employees to fund AI goals, FT reports