OpenAI's revenue grew 18% in the second quarter of 2026 while its losses widened, and Anthropic more than doubled its revenue over the same period, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the results. Investing.com and Yahoo Finance summarized the report.
The WSJ framed the gap as a shift in the AI race, with ChatGPT growth slowing while Anthropic's Claude Code gained traction with developers, according to Investing.com.
OpenAI: Revenue Up 18%, Operating Loss Wider
OpenAI told investors that revenue reached $6.7 billion in the three months ended June, up from $5.7 billion in the first quarter, per the WSJ report as summarized by Investing.com. Its operating loss, including stock-based compensation, widened to $12.3 billion from $9.3 billion. Because the loss grew faster than revenue, the report said, the company moved further from profitability ahead of a potential initial public offering. For each revenue stream and cost line, see our explainer on how OpenAI makes money.
Anthropic: $11.6 Billion and a Small Operating Profit
Anthropic's revenue more than doubled to $11.6 billion in the same quarter, passing OpenAI for the first time, and the company reported a small operating profit, Yahoo Finance reported, citing the WSJ. Anthropic told investors it had used computing resources more efficiently. The WSJ noted that Anthropic is private, that the method behind its adjusted profit figure is not clear, and that earlier investor communications excluded stock-based compensation.
Private Valuations
Anthropic is valued at $1.12 trillion and OpenAI at $882.62 billion in private markets, according to Nasdaq Private Market data cited by Stocktwits. Both companies are preparing for IPOs, the same report said.
Leadership Changes and Exposure for Suppliers
OpenAI replaced Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser after less than a year in the role, following the exits of former COO Brad Lightcap and Fidji Simo, once seen as a potential successor to Sam Altman, Stocktwits reported.
Slower growth at OpenAI matters for suppliers that rely on its business, including Microsoft and Oracle, according to the same Stocktwits report. Newsquawk noted that these are attributed press figures on private companies, not audited filings.
Sources
- The Wall Street Journal: OpenAI's Second-Quarter Sales Show Tepid Growth Compared With Anthropic (paywalled)
- Investing.com: OpenAI's Q2 revenue growth lagged Anthropic as losses deepened, WSJ reports
- Yahoo Finance: OpenAI Q2 Growth Trails Anthropic as Operating Loss Widens, WSJ Says
- TradingView / Stocktwits: OpenAI's Revenue Growth Reportedly Slows As Anthropic Pulls Ahead
- Newsquawk: OpenAI's Q2 sales show tepid growth compared with Anthropic, according to WSJ
