Anthropic reportedly touts quarterly operating profit while excluding compute and distribution costs
AlexTensor · x · 2026-09-15
Per the poster, Anthropic told investors it expects a second straight quarter of adjusted operating profit with gross margins above 80%—but the calculation excludes distribution costs (COGS) and the massive compute costs of training its models (OPEX/R&D).
The poster dubs this 'vibe accounting': 'we make a lot of money, as long as you don't count what it costs to build and run our product'—and questions whether the claim holds up. Such adjusted-profit framings are increasingly common as AI startups pitch investors on viable unit economics.
Related event: Anthropic's 80%+ Gross Margin Claim Mocked Over Excluded Costs(9 posts)→
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