CEO Interview: Wes Cummins of Applied Digital
Cummins' Applied Digital builds the data centers that feed the world's hunger for AI. We asked him about his journey as CEO and whether AI looks to him like the dot-com bubble.
It’s a rare skill in business when you can see around corners.
In 2022, before OpenAI had debuted ChatGPT, Wes Cummins pivoted his Bitcoin mining operation into building AI data centers. It turned out to be a case of seeing the future before it got here.
Today, these AI data centers power our world’s insatiable hunger for GPUs. Cummins’ Dallas-based Applied Digital now has $16 billion in contracted revenue over the next 15 years and two hyperscale customers. Its first facility came online this month, putting it well ahead of many others who are just breaking ground.
In the conversation that follows, Cummins told me about how he saw the demand spike coming, why the CEO role feels like going from fan to head coach, and whether we’re hyping AI like it’s 1999.
