The Instagram owner is splurging billions to build compute - chips, servers, energy and data centers that power AI - leaving it with free cash flow of just $784 million in the second quarter to run and grow its business. That collapse, of 91% from a year ago, drove its stock down 9% premarket on Thursday.

July 29 : Meta Platforms reported a precipitous 91 per cent drop in second-quarter free cash flow on Wednesday, underscoring the financial strain of the social media giant's…

July 29 : Meta Platforms reported a precipitous 91 per cent drop in free cash flow on Wednesday, underscoring the financial strain of the social media giant's costly AI buildout…