Google Bets on the Next Century with 100-Year Bond to Power Its AI Future
Google signals long-term confidence by issuing century-long bonds, betting its future on artificial intelligence and massive infrastructure investments.
Google has not yet turned 30, but it is already thinking a hundred years ahead.
In a bold financial move that reflects both confidence and ambition, Alphabet — Google’s parent company — has issued bonds that will not mature until 2126. The rare century-long debt offering is aimed at funding the company’s aggressive expansion into artificial intelligence infrastructure, signaling that Google sees itself playing a leading role in technology for decades, if not generations, to come.
The decision places Google among a small and exclusive group of institutions willing to borrow money over such an extended period. Traditionally, century bonds have been associated with universities, trusts, or legacy corporations with long, stable histories. For a relatively young tech giant to make the same commitment is unusual — and telling.
According to reports, Alphabet is raising $20 billion across several currencies, including the US dollar and Swiss franc. The fundraising is structured in multiple parts, with one of the most notable being the 100-year bond.
So why take on debt that stretches into the next century?
The answer lies in artificial intelligence. Alphabet is planning a massive $185 billion investment to strengthen its AI capabilities, from data centers and chips to research and computing infrastructure. The company, along with rivals like Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, sees AI as a once-in-a-generation technological shift that could redefine industries and unlock enormous economic value.
By choosing such a long borrowing window, Alphabet appears to be expressing strong faith not only in AI’s long-term payoff but also in its own ability to remain relevant and profitable well into the future.
And investors seem to share that belief.
Reports suggest demand for the bonds has been strong, with roughly $100 billion worth of orders placed for the overall fundraising package. While not all of that demand is specifically for the 100-year portion, the interest underscores confidence in Alphabet’s financial strength.
At present, that confidence appears well-founded. Alphabet reported record revenue of $400 billion in 2025 and holds cash reserves of about $127 billion. The company had already raised $17.5 billion through debt last November, further reinforcing its strong balance sheet.
Still, century bonds are rare — especially in tech.
Historically, only a handful of organisations have issued similar debt. The University of Oxford, the Wellcome Trust, and French energy giant EDF have all offered 100-year sterling bonds. Disney famously issued its “Sleeping Beauty” century bonds in 1993. In contrast, most technology firms have avoided such long-term commitments, particularly after the dotcom crash of the late 1990s.
Google’s relatively short history makes the move even more striking. Founded in 1998, the company is barely 28 years old — a fraction of the lifespan it is now betting on.
Whether Google will still exist in 2126 is impossible to predict. But by issuing a bond that stretches that far into the future, Alphabet is making one thing clear: it intends to try.
