What is your company’s data worth to AI labs? Every publicly reported deal, and a rough estimate for yours.
By Artificial Jobs · Published · Updated
Reported sales of company data to AI buyers range from about $10,000 for a small startup’s archive to $10 million for Spirit Airlines’ emails and Teams messages. micro1 says approved data packages earn $100K–$2M+, and Mercor lists payouts up to $1.5M. Price depends mostly on headcount, years of records, and which tools the team worked in.
Estimate your company’s range
Rough value range
$150K–$750K
250 person-years of records. Inside the range micro1 and Mercor publish for approved packages.
See which buyers fitA rough guide, not an offer. Real prices depend on what a buyer approves after review.
How it works: peak headcount × years gives person-years of records, weighted by data type (chat counts most, then tickets and code, then email and docs). The bands are anchored to the reported deals below. It is a rough guide, not an offer.
Get a valuation
Tell us what you have and we’ll reply by email with the buyers that fit and what they have paid for similar data.
Every reported deal
Publicly reported sales and bids for company data used in AI training, as of October 2026.
| Seller | Buyer | Price | Data | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlines (in bankruptcy) | $10M | ~100M emails, ~500M Teams messages, spreadsheets, calendars and operations records | Aug 2026 · Reuters | |
| Spirit Airlines (losing bid) | Mercor | $7.5M bid | Same archive; Google outbid Mercor at auction | Aug 2026 · Decrypt |
| Shut-down startups via SimpleClosure | AI labs and training-data vendors | $10K–$100K each | Source code, Slack messages and email; nearly 100 deals by April 2026 | Apr 2026 · Forbes, via Gizmodo |
| A winding-down crypto startup | Not disclosed | ~$25K + ~$15K pending | Code base, then Google Workspace, Notion, Figma and Slack data | Oct 2026 · MIT Technology Review |
SimpleClosure has since handled over 150 deals and expects to return more than $10 million to startups by the end of 2026, and 47% of its wind-downs now include a code or data sale, according to MIT Technology Review (October 13, 2026).
What drives the price
- Headcount and years. Sunset values a client’s assets by headcount, years in operation, data volume and how the team used its tools.
- Variety, not just volume. Surge AI looks for archives covering disagreements and hard judgment calls. A Slack history with that depth can be worth more than another company’s Slack, email and calendars combined.
- Usable tasks. Buyers price against “research theses” that estimate how many useful training tasks a body of data yields, such as from 100,000 lines of code. That is why quotes vary so widely.
- Industry fit. Mercor publishes a different range for each industry it buys from (Construction: $115K–$1M; Semiconductor & materials: $100K–$750K; Digital health: $100K–$900K; Manufacturing & industrial: $100K–$1.5M; Law firm: $50K–$1.2M; Cybersecurity: $20K–$750K).
Source: MIT Technology Review, October 13, 2026; Mercor’s data referral page, October 2026.
Who buys company data
Programs that publish terms, plus the wind-down firms and direct buyers named in reporting. Only the micro1 and Mercor rows earn us a referral fee.
| Buyer | Best for | Pays | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| micro1 Enterprise Data Partnership | Operating companies, 30–200 employees, documented processes | $100K–$2M+ | Company profile and data manifest on micro1’s portal |
| micro1 Defunct Company Data Partnership | Shut-down companies, 50+ peak employees, substantial Slack or Teams data | $100K–$2M+ | Whoever controls the assets now creates the profile |
| Mercor Data | Operating companies in construction, semiconductor & materials, digital health, manufacturing & industrial, law firm, cybersecurity | Up to $1.5M | Apply at data.mercor.com with code HMFNVJTM |
| SimpleClosure Asset Hub | Startups using SimpleClosure to wind down | $10K–$100K reported | Part of a wind-down engagement; scrubs personal data before sale |
| Sunset | Failing or closed companies it winds down | Not published | Values assets by headcount, years, data volume and tool use |
| Labs and big tech directly (e.g. Google) | Very large archives, often through bankruptcy auctions | $10M (Spirit) | Court-supervised sale or private negotiation |
The privacy and legal risk
Sellers and buyers both say they scrub personally identifiable information before transfer, and Spirit said its archive would be de-identified. Critics aren’t convinced. Greg Ewing, an attorney who advises AI startups, called these archives “legally radioactive,” pointing to private details in emails and calendars. Emory law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa says employers should have express consent before selling workers’ data, and notes the proceeds usually go to senior creditors and investors, not employees. Spirit’s flight attendants’ union objected to that sale in court.
There is no US federal law banning these sales, but customer contracts, NDAs and privacy laws such as GDPR still apply. Work through the before-you-sell checklist and have a lawyer review any agreement. This page is not legal advice.
Sources: MIT Technology Review; Gizmodo, citing Forbes; Decrypt.
FAQ
How much is a company’s data worth to AI labs?
- Reported sales range from about $10,000 for a small startup’s archive to $10 million for Spirit Airlines’ emails and Teams messages (Reuters, August 2026). micro1 says approved data packages earn $100K–$2M+, and Mercor lists payouts up to $1.5M.
How much can a defunct startup sell its Slack and email data for?
- Forbes reported in April 2026 that SimpleClosure had processed nearly 100 such deals with payouts of $10,000 to $100,000 per company. Larger archives can earn more through programs such as micro1’s Defunct Company Data Partnership, which asks for 50+ peak employees and substantial Slack or Teams history.
What makes company data more valuable?
- Buyers describe valuing headcount, years in operation, data volume and how the team used its tools (Sunset, via MIT Technology Review). Slack history with variety and depth, including disagreements and hard judgment calls, can be worth more than another company’s Slack, email and calendars combined.
Who buys company data for AI training?
- Buyers include foundation AI labs, Google, vendors that build simulated workplaces for AI training such as Surge AI, and data companies such as Mercor and micro1. Wind-down firms such as SimpleClosure and Sunset broker sales for shut-down startups.
Can an operating company sell its data, or only shut-down ones?
- Both. micro1 runs an Enterprise Data Partnership for operating companies with 30–200 employees, and Mercor buys from operating companies in construction, semiconductors, digital health, manufacturing, law and cybersecurity.
Is it legal to sell employee Slack and email data?
- There is no US federal law banning it, but contracts, privacy laws such as GDPR and employee expectations still apply. Sellers and buyers say they strip personal data first, and critics call such archives “legally radioactive.” Get a lawyer to review any data agreement.