Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse takes a back seat as Meta plans to sell AI cloud capacity, sending CoreWeave shares down 14% on the news.
Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse ambitions have taken a back seat to a new business plan at Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), one that could put the company in direct competition with cloud computing firms rather than just building virtual worlds. Bloomberg reported on July 1 that Meta intends to sell access to artificial intelligence computing power and models, a move that sent Meta shares up 8.6% the next trading day while rattling investors in CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV).
Key Takeaways
- Meta stock has fallen nearly 7% so far in 2026 before this news broke.
- Bloomberg reported Meta plans to sell computing power or access to its AI models.
- Meta shares rose 8.6% the day after the report; CoreWeave shares fell about 14%.
- Goldman Sachs Research projects the cloud computing market could hit $2 trillion by 2030.
- Meta already has a $21 billion cloud deal with CoreWeave that runs through 2032.
What Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse Pivot Toward Cloud Computing Actually Involves
Meta has spent years pouring money into virtual and augmented reality under the metaverse banner, but the company's latest strategic shift points somewhere else entirely: renting out its own AI infrastructure. According to the Bloomberg report, Meta is weighing two paths. One option is selling raw computing capacity outright. The other mirrors how Amazon operates its Bedrock platform through Amazon Web Services, where Meta would run its own data centers and chips while charging developers for access to its AI models.
The timing lines up with Meta's enormous capital spending plans. The company expects to spend as much as $145 billion in 2026 building out AI infrastructure. Turning some of that capacity into a revenue stream would help offset those costs, and it would give Meta a foothold in a market Goldman Sachs Research estimates could be worth $2 trillion by 2030.
Why CoreWeave Investors Reacted So Sharply
CoreWeave shareholders did not share in Meta's rally. Shares of the cloud provider dropped roughly 14% the trading day after the news broke, and the reason is straightforward: Meta is already one of CoreWeave's customers, with a $21 billion contract for AI cloud capacity that extends through 2032.
If Meta starts selling its own computing capacity to outside developers, it risks becoming both a client and a rival to CoreWeave at the same time. That dual role unsettled investors, who now have to weigh whether CoreWeave could eventually lose Meta as a customer while facing new competition from the very company it has been supplying.
How Meta's Plan Stacks Up Against Amazon and CoreWeave
| Company | Cloud Role | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms | Potential new entrant selling compute or model access | Planning up to $145 billion in AI infrastructure spending in 2026 |
| Amazon | Established provider via AWS Bedrock | Model Meta may follow for selling AI model access |
| CoreWeave | Existing cloud provider and Meta client | Holds a $21 billion deal with Meta running through 2032 |
Nothing about Meta's plan is final. The company is reportedly still in the planning stage, and there is no confirmed timeline for launch. But the mere possibility of Meta competing with a company it currently pays for cloud services was enough to move both stocks within a single trading session.
Where This Leaves Meta's Cloud Ambitions
Whether Meta actually follows through on selling computing power remains an open question, and much depends on how the company balances its own AI needs against the appeal of a new revenue source. For now, the metaverse talk has faded into the background while investors focus on whether Zuckerberg's company can turn its infrastructure spending into a genuine cloud computing business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Mark Zuckerberg's GPA?
Public, verified records of Mark Zuckerberg's college GPA are not available, and he left Harvard before graduating to build Facebook full time.
What is Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse?
The metaverse refers to Meta's effort to build interconnected virtual and augmented reality spaces where people can socialize, work, and play, a project the company has invested heavily in since rebranding from Facebook in 2021.
Is Mark Zuckerberg deleting the metaverse?
There is no indication Meta is deleting or abandoning the metaverse outright, though recent news coverage has centered on the company's pivot toward selling AI computing power rather than metaverse products.
Is Mark Zuckerberg shutting down metaverse?
Nothing in current reporting suggests Meta is shutting down its metaverse division; the company's attention has simply shifted toward AI infrastructure and cloud computing plans.
What happened to Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse?
The metaverse project continues to exist within Meta, but the company's latest headlines involve a reported plan to sell AI computing capacity and model access, a move that has overshadowed metaverse news for now.
