Apollo's 41% versus -59% chart is a useful stress test for the AI buildout. The upstream margins are real, but they depend on a downstream layer that still needs cheap capital.

The AI boom has turned the standard profit margin model on its head, according to Apollo Chief Economist Torsten Slok—and it’s making the industry’s growth unsustainable.

Apollo's 41% versus -59% chart is a useful stress test for the AI buildout. The upstream margins are real, but they depend on a downstream layer that still needs cheap capital.