Anthropic Surpasses OpenAI in Q2 Revenue for the First Time
In the second quarter of 2026, Anthropic reported $11.6 billion in revenue—more than double its first-quarter total and surpassing OpenAI's $6.7 billion quarterly earnings. This marks a significant shift in momentum between two leading AI firms. While Anthropic posted an adjusted operating profit of $559 million by optimizing computing resources, OpenAI saw its operating loss widen to $12.3 billion from $9.3 billion the previous quarter. OpenAI's growth has been hampered by slower ChatGPT adoption and increased competition from Anthropic’s Claude Code in enterprise markets. The company is undergoing leadership changes after Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser left, joining a list of high-profile departures including former COO Brad Lightcap and Fidji Simo. OpenAI claims momentum improved with new model launches but has not provided data to back this up. Both Anthropic and OpenAI are preparing for potential IPOs by filing confidentially with the SEC. While Anthropic's CFO Krishna Rao is engaging investors, no specific financial details or valuations have been discussed yet.
Topics: AI Anthropic market competition OpenAI revenue growth