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The premise, as presented, is that a return is possible by the year 2030. A decade. A curiously arbitrary endpoint, yet one we are compelled to consider, given the prevailing currents of speculation. The justification hinges on two factors, each more labyrinthine than the last.

These five, the most substantial of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ as they are rather fancifully termed, have matured beyond mere revenue accumulation. They have become, one might say, comfortably established, generating profits with an ease that invites both admiration and, perhaps, a degree of cautious scrutiny.

Originally, this marvel was to bear fruit by the year 2025. Alas, time, that relentless critic, has forced repeated postponements. One begins to suspect that the entire enterprise is a phantom, a magnificent delusion constructed to appease shareholders and distract from more pressing concerns. When the new steward, one Lip-Bu Tan, assumed command, whispers arose questioning whether these structures would ever see the light of day. He decreed that the ’14A’ process, a key to this foundry’s supposed success, would only proceed if external patrons—those willing to pay for Intel’s services—were secured. As of this moment, the target date for the first chips emerging from Ohio is a distant 2030 – a delay that smacks of desperation, or perhaps, a polite admission of difficulty.

ExxonMobil, a rather ostentatious offspring of Rockefeller’s dismantled empire, has dutifully increased its dividend for forty-three years. A predictable performance, naturally. The truly interesting companies are those that defy expectation, not confirm it.

The point is this: someone has to generate all this power. And that, my friends, presents a rather interesting opportunity for those of us with a penchant for spotting a good investment. It’s not about the algorithms themselves, you see. It’s about the utterly mundane, yet utterly vital, business of keeping the lights on. So, let’s examine three companies poised to benefit from this… shall we say, ‘digital gluttony’.