OpenAI and Anthropic: Accounting Divergences Ahead of the IPO
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Impressive Revenue Figures but Calculated Differently
OpenAI and Anthropic, two giants of artificial intelligence, report impressive annualized revenue figures, but their calculation methods differ significantly. OpenAI announces a revenue of $25 billion, while Anthropic reports $19 billion. These amounts are obtained by multiplying revenue over four weeks by 13, with Anthropic adding monthly subscriptions multiplied by 12.
Distinct Approaches with Cloud Partners
The major divergence between the two companies lies in their management of revenue related to cloud partners. OpenAI gives 20% of its revenue to Microsoft and reports its figures before this deduction. For Azure cloud sales, OpenAI only accounts for its 20% share. Anthropic, on the other hand, records all cloud sales through AWS, Microsoft, and Google as its own revenue, treating the providers' shares as sales and marketing costs. Anthropic considers itself the primary provider, while OpenAI treats Microsoft as the primary provider for Azure.
Implications for the IPO
Although both companies adhere to U.S. accounting standards (GAAP), their methods make it difficult to compare their figures. Anthropic's revenues appear higher on paper than they would be if OpenAI used the same method. This distinction is particularly important as they approach their IPO, where clarity and transparency of financial figures are crucial for investors.
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