Google has acquired a large dataset from the American budget airline Spirit Airlines, which ceased operations after filing for bankruptcy, at auction. The deal was valued at $10 million (approximately €8.6 million). According to documents filed in the bankruptcy proceedings, the acquired package includes about 100 million emails, 500 million messages in the corporate messenger Microsoft Teams, as well as software and pricing data. Google stated that the information will be processed before it is transferred, and all personal data will be removed by an independent third party. Company representatives noted that this dataset "could be useful for improving our products and artificial intelligence models." The deal reflects the growing interest of companies working in the field of artificial intelligence in internal corporate data. Unlike open internet sources, such archives contain examples of real business communication, employee collaboration, and decision-making, which helps enhance AI models. Several companies competed for Spirit Airlines' assets. According to court documents, the AI developer Mercor also participated in the auction, but its bid of $7.5 million was lower than the winning bid from Google. The airline itself ceased operations this year. Spirit Airlines stopped operating in early May after filing for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year in August 2025. Initially, the carrier hoped to undergo a financial recovery process and reduce its debt burden. However, these plans were thwarted by a sharp rise in aviation fuel prices following the military conflict between Iran and the U.S., which further worsened the company's financial situation. The purchase of Spirit Airlines' data shows that even after a company ceases operations, its digital archives can hold significant commercial value—especially in an era of rapid artificial intelligence development.
