Critic: OpenAI and Anthropic ARR figures are invented numbers
An opinion piece argues that the widely repeated "annualized run rate" revenue figures for OpenAI and Anthropic are made-up numbers built on undefined periods and inconsistent gross-versus-net accounting. It cites reporting that OpenAI's September figure of $70 billion was later put at $50 billion after the total was inflated by grossing up sales through cloud partners, while Anthropic recognizes gross revenue on such partner sales and derives its run rate from the prior 28 days of consumption revenue plus monthly subscriptions. The author also contrasts these figures with reported first-half 2026 revenue of $12.4 billion for OpenAI and $15.5 billion for Anthropic, saying annualized numbers mainly serve marketing, search traffic and investor narratives.
It cautions readers that self-reported AI "annualized revenue" is not audited revenue and should be cited with its period and gross/net basis.