This post was originally published on this site.
Apple announced plans to invest more than $500 billion in the United States over the next four years, including a new AI server manufacturing facility in Texas and the creation of approximately 20,000 research-focused jobs.
Key Points:
- Apple will invest $500 billion in the U.S. over four years.
- A new AI server factory in Houston will open in 2026.
- The company plans to hire 20,000 employees in AI, software, and R&D.
- Apple will expand silicon production in Arizona and open a manufacturing academy in Michigan.
The tech giant’s announcement on Monday marks its largest-ever spending commitment, coming just days after CEO Tim Cook met with President Donald Trump. The investment will span multiple states and focus heavily on artificial intelligence infrastructure, silicon engineering, and advanced manufacturing.
“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Cook said in a statement.
The centerpiece of Apple’s announcement is a new 250,000-square-foot server manufacturing facility near Houston, Texas, scheduled to open in 2026. According to the company, the facility will produce servers that power Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI personal assistant system for iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. These servers were previously manufactured outside the United States.
The facility will create “thousands of jobs,” Apple said, though the company didn’t specify exactly how many. The servers will form the foundation of what Apple calls “Private Cloud Compute,” which the company describes as combining “powerful AI processing with the most advanced security architecture ever deployed at scale for AI cloud computing.”
Beyond the Texas facility, Apple plans to hire approximately 20,000 new employees across the country, with the majority focused on research and development, silicon engineering, software development, and AI and machine learning.
The announcement also includes doubling Apple’s U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund from $5 billion to $10 billion. Created in 2017, the fund supports innovation and high-skilled manufacturing jobs throughout America. Part of this expansion includes “a multibillion-dollar commitment” to produce advanced silicon chips at TSMC’s Fab 21 facility in Arizona, where Apple says it’s the largest customer.
Apple will also open a new “Apple Manufacturing Academy” in Detroit, Michigan, where Apple engineers and university experts will consult with small and medium-sized businesses on implementing AI and smart manufacturing techniques. The academy will offer free in-person and online courses focused on skills like project management and manufacturing process optimization.
Trump appeared to have prematurely revealed aspects of the announcement last week after meeting with Cook. “He is investing hundreds of billions of dollars and others, too,” Trump said while meeting with governors. “Now he has to do it, right?”
The timing of Apple’s announcement comes as the company faces renewed pressure from the Trump administration over its manufacturing footprint. Earlier this month, Trump signed an order imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese goods on top of existing tariffs of up to 25% implemented during his first term. Apple assembles most of its products in China.
This isn’t Apple’s first major U.S. investment announcement. In 2021, the company committed $430 billion in U.S. investments and 20,000 jobs over five years, including plans for a campus in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. However, that project was paused last year, with Apple reportedly telling state officials it needed to delay its plans by up to four years.
Apple’s current announcement includes expanding data center capacity in North Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada to support the company’s AI initiatives. The company also plans to continue growing its teams in Washington state, where it has doubled its workforce to over 2,400 employees in the past three years.
The company notes it remains “one of the largest U.S. taxpayers,” having paid more than $75 billion in U.S. taxes over the past five years, including $19 billion in 2024 alone. Apple says it currently supports nearly 3 million jobs across the country through direct employment, supplier relationships, and developer positions in the iOS app ecosystem.
For Apple, the investment represents a significant domestic expansion at a time when the company is heavily focused on artificial intelligence development. The announcement positions Apple’s AI infrastructure as a key driver of its future business while potentially helping to ease political pressure over its global manufacturing footprint.