Microsoft logs $3.2B from Anthropic investment, but OpenAI was a mixed bag
TechCrunch AI Julie Bort ● Covered by 2 sources
Microsoft reported a $3.2 billion gain on its Anthropic investment in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, adding 33 cents to diluted earnings per share. In contrast, the company marked down its OpenAI investment by about $600 million during the same quarter, reducing EPS by 7 cents, though it gained $5 billion on OpenAI for the full year. The Anthropic investment, made at $5 billion in November 2025 with an accompanying $30 billion Azure services commitment, appreciated significantly in just one quarter relative to Microsoft's year-long OpenAI returns.
Why it matters
When Microsoft reported killer fourth-quarter earnings for its fiscal 2026 year (which ended June 30), it tucked in an interesting little tidbit about how its investments in the two biggest, and competing, AI labs are doing.
