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

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 $45 billion