Meta Platforms Inc. announced plans for a new class of non-voting Class C stock to fund its expanding artificial intelligence buildout while preserving Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg's 61% voting control. Capital expenditure expectations for 2026 were narrowed to $135–$145 billion as Q3 revenue rose 26% to $64.6 billion. The stock plan also secured an eight-year commitment from Zuckerberg to stay in California amid a proposed state wealth tax, while Meta reported that over 10 million users adopted its new Muse AI assistant.
Creation of non-voting Class C stock
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. established the Class C non-voting stock to expand its funding tools for capital raising, acquisitions, employee compensation, and general corporate purposes amidst AI transformation.
- ▪The creation of non-voting Class C stock allows Meta Platforms Inc. to raise capital while maintaining Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg's 61% voting control of the company.
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. announced it will create a new class of non-voting Class C common stock, taking effect in January 2027, distributed as a stock dividend resulting in an effective two-for-one stock split.
Zuckerberg agreement and California wealth tax
- ▪Mark Zuckerberg committed to remaining in California or Meta Platforms Inc.'s corporate headquarters for eight years after Meta agreed to the Class C stock plan to mitigate potential California wealth tax liabilities.
- ▪California's proposed Proposition 40 wealth tax would impose a 5 percent one-time tax on California residents with wealth exceeding $1 billion.
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. entered into a Founder Alignment Agreement with Mark Zuckerberg allowing him to sell a fifth of his Class C shares to cover potential California wealth tax obligations.
Capital expenditures and AI funding needs
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. expects capital expenditures of $135 billion to $145 billion in 2026, narrowing its previous bottom range from $130 billion to fund data center and AI infrastructure buildouts.
- ▪Internal forecasts show Meta Platforms Inc. will need to raise hundreds of billions of dollars over several years starting as early as autumn 2026 to fund its AI expansion.
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. reported a free cash flow deficit of $2.12 billion in Q3 2026, down from positive $10.63 billion a year earlier, driven by $34.91 billion to $35 billion in quarterly capital expenditures.
Meta Muse AI assistant adoption and pricing
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. released its Muse Wonder foundation AI model and offers paid subscription tiers ranging from $20 to $200 per month for power users and developers.
- ▪More than 10 million users in the United States and Canada set up Meta Muse personal AI assistant accounts within six weeks of its September 2026 launch.
- ▪Roughly 25% of registered Meta Muse personal AI agent users in the U.S. and Canada engage with the assistant on any given day, with shopping being the primary use case.
Financial performance and future outlook
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. reported Q3 2026 revenue of $64.60 billion, up 26% year-over-year, exceeding Wall Street consensus estimates of $63.37 billion.
- ▪Meta Reality Labs reported a Q3 2026 operating loss of $4.13 billion on revenue of $443 million.
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. projected Q4 2026 revenue between $73 billion and $76 billion, exceeding Wall Street expectations of $73.73 billion.
- ▪Meta Platforms Inc. reported Q3 2026 earnings per share of $3.83, which included a $9.89 billion charge related to an August 2026 youth social media addiction settlement.
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