Microsoft rejects multibillion-dollar AI deal with UK's Nscale, FT reports

Microsoft has rejected an option to more than double the size of its existing agreement with Nscale to rent computing power at a Texas data center, walking away from a potential deal worth tens of billions of dollars, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Here's what to know:

• The report comes weeks after Microsoft pulled out of a deal to anchor Nscale's flagship data centre project in Loughton, Essex, after power connection delays pushed its expected supply date into the 2030s.

• Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

• Microsoft and Nscale did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours.

• Nvidia-backed Nscale filed for a US initial public offering in September, with Microsoft and Anthropic expected to be among its major customers.

• Reuters reported last month Nscale was in talks to sell AI computing power to Claude-maker Anthropic in a new deal that could be worth about US$45 billion (HK$351 billion).

Reuters

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