AI Acquihire Scrutiny

Global M&A activity hit $2.8 trillion in the first half of 2026, a 48% year-over-year surge that marks the strongest six-month period since LSEG began tracking in 1980. Forty-seven mega-deals valued over $10 billion accounted for nearly half of all transaction value. The largest included SpaceX's $60 billion acquisition of AI coding platform Cursor and NextEra Energy's $66.8 billion merger with Dominion Energy. Technology corporations, energy giants, and private equity firms drove the wave, with AI-focused acquisitions leading the charge: Salesforce paid $3.9 billion for customer service AI firm Fin, and Qualcomm negotiated a $4 billion purchase of chip company Modular.