Microsoft logs $3.2B from Anthropic investment, but OpenAI was a mixed bag

In Brief Posted: 3:46 PM PDT · July 29, 2026 Image Credits:Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Julie Bort Microsoft logs $3.2B from Anthropic investment, but OpenAI was a mixed bag 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. For the quarter, it recorded its investment in Anthropic as a $3.

2 billion gain, boosting diluted earnings [er share by 33 cents. (Microsoft reported diluted earnings per share of $4.81 for the quarter).

Microsoft invested $5 billion in Anthropic in November 2025 as part of a circular agreement under which the AI lab also agreed to buy $30 billion worth of Azure services. Microsoft does not routinely update the value of its Anthropic investment each quarter. It does, however, discuss its OpenAI investment quarterly.

Microsoft said investment did not fare nearly as well in the quarter, and marked it down about $600 million, reducing diluted EPS by about 7 cents per share. Microsoft owns about 27% of OpenAI. And while Microsoft also receives revenue-share payments, it doesn’t report how much OpenAI pays under that arrangement.

Instead, Microsoft accounts for the value of its investment. While this quarter brought a pretty sizable decline in the value of that investment, the $600 million write-down was still mostly a rounding error for Microsoft. The company delivered a highly profitable quarter, reporting $90 billion of revenue and net income of $35.

8 billion for the quarter. Microsoft’s revenue was $331.8 billion with a net income of $133.

7 billion for the year. Microsoft’s OpenAI investment looks much better when viewed on a full-year basis. For the year, Microsoft’s OpenAI investment generated a $5 billion gain and added $0.

67 on EPS, respectively, the company reported. (Microsoft reported $17.95 EPS for its fiscal year.)

Still, it is noteworthy that Microsoft reported nearly as much of a gain on Anthropic in one quarter as it did for the year on OpenAI for the entire year. In fact, it is so noteworthy that Microsoft disclosed it. Topics AI, Anthropic, Microsoft, OpenAI, TC October 13 – 15 San Francisco Scale faster.

Grow your portfolio. Gain practical expertise. No matter your goal, Disrupt can empower you.

Save up to $330 today! REGISTER NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

Startups Weekly Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. StrictlyVC Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. No newsletters selected.

Subscribe By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. Related Enterprise Zuckerberg says Meta’s enterprise AI opportunity extends beyond agents Sarah Perez 23 minutes ago TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Discover what’s next for AI, from the SaaS reckoning to the agent security gap, at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 TechCrunch Events 1 hour ago Media & Entertainment Winamp aims for a comeback with a new music player powered by Deezer Lauren Forristal 2 hours ago Latest in AI In Brief Microsoft logs $3.2B from Anthropic investment, but OpenAI was a mixed bag Julie Bort 10 seconds ago Enterprise Zuckerberg says Meta’s enterprise AI opportunity extends beyond agents Sarah Perez 23 minutes ago TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Discover what’s next for AI, from the SaaS reckoning to the agent security gap, at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 TechCrunch Events 1 hour ago In Brief Posted: 3:46 PM PDT · July 29, 2026 Posted: 3:46 PM PDT · July 29, 2026 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.

For the quarter, it recorded its investment in Anthropic as a $3.2 billion gain, boosting diluted earnings [er share by 33 cents. (Microsoft reported diluted earnings per share of $4.

81 for the quarter). Microsoft invested $5 billion in Anthropic in November 2025 as part of a circular agreement under which the AI lab also agreed to buy $30 billion worth of Azure services. Microsoft does not routinely update the value of its Anthropic investment each quarter.

It does, however, discuss its OpenAI investment quarterly. Microsoft said investment did not fare nearly as well in the quarter, and marked it down about $600 million, reducing diluted EPS by about 7 cents per share. Microsoft owns about 27% of OpenAI.

And while Microsoft also receives revenue-share payments, it doesn’t report how much OpenAI pays under that arrangement. Instead, Microsoft accounts for the value of its investment. While this quarter brought a pretty sizable decline in the value of that investment,