Michael Burry warns Sundar Pichai of ‘Motorola-style mistake’ as Alphabet raises $20 billion in bonds

Burry flags risks in Alphabet’s long-term bond move. (Photo credit: Al Jazeera)

• Michael Burry warns Alphabet of long-term risks after $20B bond raise.
• Burry warns of Motorola's fall after issuing a 100-year bond as a cautionary example.
• He urges nuclear energy investment to boost AI growth and maintain US tech lead.

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Michael Burry, an American investor best known for predicting the US housing crash, has now cautioned Alphabet over the risks of long-term dominance after Google's parent company tapped the bond market to raise around USD 20 billion, calling it a reminder of Motorola’s fall, warning that even the most powerful companies are rarely guaranteed for decades.

Alphabet recently entered the bond market to raise fresh capital, offering debt in US dollars, British pounds and Swiss francs. While most of the bonds follow standard timelines, one stands out for its unusually long tenure, stretching to 2066, a detail that did not go unnoticed by Burry.

Michael Burry warns Alphabet

Taking on X, Burry pointed to Motorola, which was once one of America’s strongest companies. In the late 1990s, the company was among the top 25 US firms by market value and revenue, even ranking ahead of Microsoft at one point. During that time, Motorola also issued a rare 100-year bond, showing its confidence.

Alphabet looking to issue a 100-year bond. Last time this happened was Motorola in 1997, which was the last year Motorola was considered a big deal. At the start of 1997, Motorola was a top 25 market cap and top 25 revenue corporation in America. Never again. The Motorola… pic.twitter.com/BuzrpPQj4u

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— Cassandra Unchained (@michaeljburry) February 9, 2026

However, Motorola soon began losing market share to competitors such as Nokia in the mobile phone industry. The arrival of Apple’s iPhone further weakened its position. Burry pointed out that the once-dominant company is now ranked 232nd by market value, with sales of roughly USD 11 billion. “Now, what was once a dominant name is much smaller, with its market value and sales reduced from their peak.” “Today Motorola is the 232nd largest market cap with only $11 billion in sales,” he added.

According to Burry, securing long-term debt can be risky, as no company can be certain of dominance decades from now. Motorola, too, once appeared unstoppable.

Burry’s warning comes amid a massive AI investment across Big Tech. Companies like Alphabet, Amazon and Meta are committing billions to infrastructure. Though he criticised aggressive AI expansion, arguing that much of today’s infrastructure could become outdated faster than expected.

Beyond bonds, Burry has also questioned the optimism surrounding AI chip stocks like Nvidia, warning that today’s excitement may not last. He argues that electricity will be the decisive factor for AI expansion and has urged large-scale nuclear investment.

According to Burry, securing a long-term energy supply is essential if the US wants to stay ahead of China in technology. Without swift action and regulatory support, he warns that today’s AI ambitions could turn into tomorrow’s missteps.