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. 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.
Key Takeaways
- 2 billion gain , boosting diluted earnings per share by 33 cents.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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Stats & Key Facts
- #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.
- #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.
- #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 per share by 33 cents. (Microsoft reported diluted earnings per share of $4. 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.
For more details please read the original article at TechCrunch AI.
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