Anthropic has surpassed OpenAI in quarterly revenue for the first time.

Anthropic’s revenue more than doubled, reaching $11.6 billion, while OpenAI generated $6.7 billion. Anthropic also achieved a small operating profit.

Anthropic surpassed OpenAI in quarterly revenue for the first time. In the second quarter of 2026, the company more than doubled its performance compared to the previous quarter, generating $11.6 billion. Over the same period, OpenAI’s revenue grew by 18%—from $5.7 billion to $6.7 billion.

This gap marked the first instance where Anthropic’s quarterly revenue exceeded that of OpenAI. At the same time, Anthropic recorded a small operating profit.

OpenAI’s situation proved significantly more challenging. The company’s operating loss increased from $9.3 billion to $12.3 billion, despite revenue growth.

One reason for the difference in results was the success of Claude Code—Anthropic’s programming tool. Against this backdrop, OpenAI’s growth slowed, and the company faced additional pressure from competitors and corporate clients.

Meanwhile, OpenAI informed investors that its growth rate accelerated after the launch of new models in July. This could change the dynamics as early as the third quarter.

The difference between the companies reflects different approaches to business development. In recent months, Anthropic has significantly strengthened its position in the corporate segment and among developers, particularly thanks to Claude Code. OpenAI, on the other hand, continues to incur high costs for model and infrastructure development.

For OpenAI, these results became an additional source of pressure ahead of a potential IPO. The company maintains a significantly higher level of operating losses, whereas Anthropic has already shown a small operating profit.

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, and Anthropic remain the two largest players in the generative artificial intelligence market. Now, for the first time, Anthropic has surpassed its competitor in quarterly revenue, changing the balance of power in the AI company race.

Source: The Wall Street Journal