Anthropic, OpenAI blow past Starbucks, McDonald's amid AI boom
TL;DR
OpenAI and Anthropic are together on track for an annual revenue run rate of about $120 billion, according to Funda data highlighted by the "Key Context" Substack. Anthropic accounts for roughly 60% of that on the back of its lead with corporate customers, a lead OpenAI is trying to close. At an estimated $71 billion, Anthropic would outrank Starbucks ($37.2 billion), and both companies would land in the Fortune 500's top 100 by revenue.
Nauti's Take
The numbers are a strong signal and an opportunity for users: AI products are making real money, especially with corporate customers, which makes roadmaps more predictable and vendors more durable. Caution is still warranted — an annualised run rate is not annual revenue and says nothing about margins or infrastructure costs.
The market is consolidating around vendors who can pay their bills, so budget for higher prices.
Sources