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For sale-process bankers: AI data buyers belong on the list

Buyer lists in distressed sales have traditionally covered strategic acquirers, financial sponsors and liquidators. Spirit Airlines brought a new category into the room: AI data buyers.

Three AI-linked bidders went after the airline's internal records, and the spread in their offers shows how much the privacy approach moves the price.

AI Data Offers research deskChecked against our methodology Updated October 28, 2026 2 min read 11 sources

In this guide

The Spirit book

Google opened at $5.0M and closed at $10.0M cash, doubling its first bid. Mercor's $7.5M backup comes to three quarters of Google's price. Once bidding was over, micro1 lodged a $12.5M offer payable from its existing cash.

$5.2M
Google's form, third party strips personal details
$7.0M
Mercor's own de-identification tools
$10.0M
Mercor does the de-identification in-house

Mercor bid	Condition
$5.2M	Google's form, third party strips personal details
$7.0M	Mercor's own de-identification tools
$10.0M	Mercor does the de-identification in-house

Same archive, three prices. Source: Chapter11Cases docket report.

Data buyers with published terms

Buyers advertise ranges that mostly fall between $100K and $2M; these are their own figures. Direct buyers generally say sellers pay no fee, whereas brokers and marketplaces may keep 8% to 30%. Money typically arrives 3 to 6 weeks after signing.

micro1
Who they take
30+ employees; closed US companies with 25+ at peak
Published terms
$100K to $2M+, over $1M for unique data
Mercor
Who they take
Operating and shuttered companies
Published terms
No seller fees, paid 2 to 4 weeks after signing
Pewter
Who they take
US-based, 20+ employees today or at the high point, 3+ years of data
Published terms
Any operating status, no owner fee
Polyshares
Who they take
Operating companies
Published terms
Offer 1 to 2 weeks after intake, paid Net 30 to 60
SimpleClosure
Who they take
Wind-downs
Published terms
150+ deals, typically $10K to $100K

Buyer	Who they take	Published terms
micro1	30+ employees; closed US companies with 25+ at peak	$100K to $2M+, over $1M for unique data
Mercor	Operating and shuttered companies	No seller fees, paid 2 to 4 weeks after signing
Pewter	US-based, 20+ employees today or at the high point, 3+ years of data	Any operating status, no owner fee
Polyshares	Operating companies	Offer 1 to 2 weeks after intake, paid Net 30 to 60
SimpleClosure	Wind-downs	150+ deals, typically $10K to $100K

Bids are price plus a privacy plan

After Spirit's auction, a filed declaration said privacy points, the de-identification method among them, could settle the result. The ombudsman later flagged two items for review: the security incident Mercor disclosed in 2026, and micro1's intention to remove personal details in-house.

From the start, ask every data bidder three things: who removes personal details, who audits that work, and where the records will be stored. The replies can decide the winner as much as the price does.

Which mandates justify a data tranche

Headcount and history set the level of interest. Sunset looks at staff size, years trading, data volume and how heavily the team used its software. Smaller archives mostly fall inside SimpleClosure's $10K to $100K range.

Timing matters as well. SimpleClosure recommends taking stock of the data and contacting buyers while the dissolution paperwork is underway, before accounts close and value slips away. See stalking horse bids for data.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Which AI companies bid on Spirit's data?

Google won, Mercor is the alternate, and micro1 filed only after bidding closed.

How wide was the spread?

Mercor's $7.5M equals three quarters of Google's $10.0M, while micro1's $12.5M tops Google by a quarter.

Do AI data buyers charge sellers fees?

Direct buyers mostly say sellers pay nothing. Brokers and marketplaces may keep 8% to 30%, so find out who covers their fee.

How quickly do they pay?

Usually 3 to 6 weeks after signing, sometimes longer. Some pay only after accepting the data in writing.

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Sources

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