How long is Anthropic’s lease with SpaceX? Opinions vary

SpaceX and Anthropic’s recent compute partnership is under scrutiny after conflicting statements about the lease duration. Earlier this month, Anthropic announced a $1.25 billion monthly agreement with SpaceX’s xAI division for exclusive access to the Colossus cluster, a deal framed as a long-term commitment. However, Elon Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify that the arrangement is actually a 180-day lease with a 90-day mutual cancellation clause, stating it was SpaceX’s request for short-term flexibility. The discrepancy arises from SpaceX’s SEC S-1 filing, which describes the agreement as a three-year commitment through May 2029, with monthly payments starting in May 2026 and capacity ramping up at a reduced fee. The filing explicitly states that Anthropic ‘has agreed to pay a monthly fee through May 2029,’ a detail repeated across multiple pages. Musk’s claim that the lease is short-term contradicts this documentation, raising questions about the nature of the agreement. Anthropic’s official statements and SpaceX’s press releases do not specify the lease duration, leaving ambiguity despite the SEC filing’s clarity. The legal implications of Musk’s remarks are unclear, though they could be seen as a material misrepresentation during SpaceX’s quiet period. The SEC may not intervene, but the contradiction highlights inconsistencies in how the deal is being communicated. The partnership was initially presented as a strategic win for both companies, with xAI securing revenue and Anthropic gaining critical compute resources for AI development. However, Musk’s clarification suggests SpaceX retained flexibility, potentially reserving the right to reclaim the Colossus cluster if compute demand surges. Neither company has addressed the conflicting details, leaving the true terms of the agreement unresolved.