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At 26.2 pounds, the "Boot of Cortez" is the largest surviving natural gold nugget found in the Western Hemisphere
GLENDALE, Ariz., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EJ's Auction & Appraisal has been selected to auction the historic "Boot of Cortez" gold nugget. The auction is set for Friday, June 12 at 1 p.m. local Arizona time both online and live at EJ's Auction & Appraisal in Glendale, Arizona, for qualified bidders. Registration for bidding is open now.
The "Boot of Cortez" is classified as the largest surviving natural gold nugget found in the Western Hemisphere. EJ's Auction & Appraisal arranged for the specimen to be independently weighed and analyzed in April 2026 using modern calibrated equipment. The current measurement was confirmed using a third-party scale certified by the State of Arizona. The specimen also has undergone third-party X-ray fluorescence (XRF) testing, verifying the material to be approximately 98% gold.
Some of the unique features include:
- A gold nugget in the shape of a conquistador's boot
- 383.10 troy ounces, or 26.2 pounds (11.9 kilograms)
- 10 ¾ inches (27.3 cm) in height and 7 ¼ inches (18.4 cm) in width
- 98% pure gold
- Pristine condition, maintained its original form
A prospector discovered "The Boot of Cortez" using a metal detector from Radio Shack while searching for gold in 1989 near Caborca, Mexico, about 70 miles south of the Arizona border and about 60 miles east of the Sea of Cortez in the Mexican state of Sonora.
The "Boot of Cortez" quickly became one of the most celebrated mineral finds of the modern era. It has been exhibited at leading institutions and events, including the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In January 2008, the piece achieved over $1.3 million at auction, which was four times the gold spot value at that time. It has remained in a distinguished private collection for nearly two decades.
Erik Hoyer, CEO and owner of EJ's Auction & Appraisal, said the "Boot of Cortez" has not changed ownership since the buyer purchased it at auction in January 2008.
Bidding registration is open through June 9. For details, visit bootofcortez.com, email concierge@ejsauction.com or call 623-878-2003. For media inquiries, contact media@ejsauction.com. To view EJ's weekly online auctions, visit ejsauction.com.
At 26.2 pounds, the "Boot of Cortez" is the largest surviving natural gold nugget found in the Western Hemisphere
GLENDALE, Ariz., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EJ's Auction & Appraisal has been selected to auction the historic "Boot of Cortez" gold nugget. The auction is set for Friday, June 12 at 1 p.m. local Arizona time both online and live at EJ's Auction & Appraisal in Glendale, Arizona, for qualified bidders. Registration for bidding is open now.
The "Boot of Cortez" is classified as the largest surviving natural gold nugget found in the Western Hemisphere. EJ's Auction & Appraisal arranged for the specimen to be independently weighed and analyzed in April 2026 using modern calibrated equipment. The current measurement was confirmed using a third-party scale certified by the State of Arizona. The specimen also has undergone third-party X-ray fluorescence (XRF) testing, verifying the material to be approximately 98% gold.
Some of the unique features include:
- A gold nugget in the shape of a conquistador's boot
- 383.10 troy ounces, or 26.2 pounds (11.9 kilograms)
- 10 ¾ inches (27.3 cm) in height and 7 ¼ inches (18.4 cm) in width
- 98% pure gold
- Pristine condition, maintained its original form
A prospector discovered "The Boot of Cortez" using a metal detector from Radio Shack while searching for gold in 1989 near Caborca, Mexico, about 70 miles south of the Arizona border and about 60 miles east of the Sea of Cortez in the Mexican state of Sonora.
The "Boot of Cortez" quickly became one of the most celebrated mineral finds of the modern era. It has been exhibited at leading institutions and events, including the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In January 2008, the piece achieved over $1.3 million at auction, which was four times the gold spot value at that time. It has remained in a distinguished private collection for nearly two decades.
Erik Hoyer, CEO and owner of EJ's Auction & Appraisal, said the "Boot of Cortez" has not changed ownership since the buyer purchased it at auction in January 2008.
Bidding registration is open through June 9. For details, visit bootofcortez.com, email concierge@ejsauction.com or call 623-878-2003. For media inquiries, contact media@ejsauction.com. To view EJ's weekly online auctions, visit ejsauction.com.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Historic Boot of Cortez Gold Nugget to be Auctioned on June 12 at EJ's Auction & Appraisal
Historic Boot of Cortez Gold Nugget to be Auctioned on June 12 at EJ's Auction & Appraisal
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NEW YORK, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TrendForce's latest findings on the AI industry highlight that several major North American CSPs have recently raised their 2026 capital expenditure (CapEx) guidance in response to strong AI demand. As a result, TrendForce has revised its forecast for the combined CapEx of the world's top nine CSPs—Google, AWS, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, ByteDance, Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu—up to approximately US$830 billion in 2026, with the annual growth rate raised from 61% to 79%.
Taking a look at the four major U.S. CSPs, Microsoft has increased its CapEx outlook to $190 billion, implying approximately 130% YoY growth. Around roughly $25 billion is attributable to rising component costs. Similarly, Google has raised its guidance from $175–185 billion to $180–190 billion, with growth exceeding 100%. Meta has revised its CapEx range upward from $115–135 billion to $125–145 billion, representing approximately 85% YoY growth. Lastly, AWS is expected to exceed $230 billion in CapEx this year, with growth of over 50% driven by demand for AI cloud services.
TrendForce notes that the pace of CapEx expansion among North American CSPs exceeds the global average, underscoring that AI infrastructure has become a core long-term strategic priority. Investment is increasingly concentrated in the deployment of high-performance GPU clusters, in-house ASIC development, and next-generation data centers designed to support high-power-density computing.
The sharp rise in CapEx also signals sustained momentum in data center construction, led primarily by AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Oracle. As of the end of 2025, these five North American CSPs had deployed 800–900 data centers globally, with AWS accounting for the lion's share.
Among Chinese CSPs, Alibaba and ByteDance are the main drivers of expansion—though their strategies diverge. Alibaba is focusing on localized nodes and sovereign cloud offerings through Alibaba Cloud to penetrate emerging markets. Since announcing expansion plans in 2025, the company has established new regions in Brazil, France, and the Netherlands, enlarging its global footprint to 29 regions and 94 availability zones.
In contrast, ByteDance is aggressively expanding overseas through TikTok, with operations established across eight countries, including the U.S., Brazil, and Ireland, and major investments in Europe, Thailand, and Malaysia. This makes it the most geographically aggressive Chinese CSP.
TrendForce further notes that sustained AI demand will continue to drive global data center growth, with total installed power capacity expected to reach approximately 155 GW in 2026 (~+29% YoY). AI servers are also projected to surpass general-purpose servers in total electricity consumption in 2026 due to significantly higher power consumption per unit.
Further jumps in power consumption are expected in 2027–2028 as platforms such as GB300/Rubin and ASIC-based AI servers enter mass production. This trend will, in turn, support growth in key components such as HVDC power systems and liquid cooling systems.
For more information on TrendForce's semiconductor reports and market data, please visit the Report Page, or Email (SR_MI@trendforce.com) the Sales Department.
For more on the latest technology industry news and trends, please visit News.
About TrendForce
TrendForce is a global leader in technology industry analysis and consulting services. With deep expertise spanning foundry, DRAM, HBM, NAND Flash, AI servers, robotics, near-eye displays, display panels, LEDs, MLCC, and green energy, it also offers in-depth research into key market drivers such as AI, automotive technologies, 5G/6G communications, LEO satellites, and the IoT.
Backed by a team of top industry professionals, TrendForce has been at the forefront of global market research for over 25 years. More than 60% of its clients are among the world's top 500 companies.
TrendForce's global footprint includes Taipei, Shenzhen, Silicon Valley, New York, and Tokyo. With timely and strategic industry analysis, TrendForce delivers the critical information that empowers businesses to make smarter, faster decisions.
CONTACT: pengchen@trendforce.com
NEW YORK, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TrendForce's latest findings on the AI industry highlight that several major North American CSPs have recently raised their 2026 capital expenditure (CapEx) guidance in response to strong AI demand. As a result, TrendForce has revised its forecast for the combined CapEx of the world's top nine CSPs—Google, AWS, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, ByteDance, Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu—up to approximately US$830 billion in 2026, with the annual growth rate raised from 61% to 79%.
Taking a look at the four major U.S. CSPs, Microsoft has increased its CapEx outlook to $190 billion, implying approximately 130% YoY growth. Around roughly $25 billion is attributable to rising component costs. Similarly, Google has raised its guidance from $175–185 billion to $180–190 billion, with growth exceeding 100%. Meta has revised its CapEx range upward from $115–135 billion to $125–145 billion, representing approximately 85% YoY growth. Lastly, AWS is expected to exceed $230 billion in CapEx this year, with growth of over 50% driven by demand for AI cloud services.
TrendForce notes that the pace of CapEx expansion among North American CSPs exceeds the global average, underscoring that AI infrastructure has become a core long-term strategic priority. Investment is increasingly concentrated in the deployment of high-performance GPU clusters, in-house ASIC development, and next-generation data centers designed to support high-power-density computing.
The sharp rise in CapEx also signals sustained momentum in data center construction, led primarily by AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Oracle. As of the end of 2025, these five North American CSPs had deployed 800–900 data centers globally, with AWS accounting for the lion's share.
Among Chinese CSPs, Alibaba and ByteDance are the main drivers of expansion—though their strategies diverge. Alibaba is focusing on localized nodes and sovereign cloud offerings through Alibaba Cloud to penetrate emerging markets. Since announcing expansion plans in 2025, the company has established new regions in Brazil, France, and the Netherlands, enlarging its global footprint to 29 regions and 94 availability zones.
In contrast, ByteDance is aggressively expanding overseas through TikTok, with operations established across eight countries, including the U.S., Brazil, and Ireland, and major investments in Europe, Thailand, and Malaysia. This makes it the most geographically aggressive Chinese CSP.
TrendForce further notes that sustained AI demand will continue to drive global data center growth, with total installed power capacity expected to reach approximately 155 GW in 2026 (~+29% YoY). AI servers are also projected to surpass general-purpose servers in total electricity consumption in 2026 due to significantly higher power consumption per unit.
Further jumps in power consumption are expected in 2027–2028 as platforms such as GB300/Rubin and ASIC-based AI servers enter mass production. This trend will, in turn, support growth in key components such as HVDC power systems and liquid cooling systems.
For more information on TrendForce's semiconductor reports and market data, please visit the Report Page, or Email (SR_MI@trendforce.com) the Sales Department.
For more on the latest technology industry news and trends, please visit News.
About TrendForce
TrendForce is a global leader in technology industry analysis and consulting services. With deep expertise spanning foundry, DRAM, HBM, NAND Flash, AI servers, robotics, near-eye displays, display panels, LEDs, MLCC, and green energy, it also offers in-depth research into key market drivers such as AI, automotive technologies, 5G/6G communications, LEO satellites, and the IoT.
Backed by a team of top industry professionals, TrendForce has been at the forefront of global market research for over 25 years. More than 60% of its clients are among the world's top 500 companies.
TrendForce's global footprint includes Taipei, Shenzhen, Silicon Valley, New York, and Tokyo. With timely and strategic industry analysis, TrendForce delivers the critical information that empowers businesses to make smarter, faster decisions.
CONTACT: pengchen@trendforce.com
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
North American AI Data Center Expansion Drives 2026 CapEx of Top Nine CSPs to US$830 Billion, Says TrendForce
