# Microsoft reportedly on track to pay Anthropic $2B+ a year

> Microsoft is reportedly on track to pay Anthropic over $2 billion yearly for Copilot models.

*The Information says Microsoft is blending Claude with OpenAI models across Copilot, though the figure rests on a single source.*

By Bez · FeaturedDaily
Canonical: https://featureddaily.com/news/microsoft-reportedly-on-track-to-pay-anthropic-2b-a-year

**What happened:** Microsoft is on track to pay Anthropic more than $2 billion a year for models that power Copilot, [The Information reported](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsofts-new-office-chief-fixed-copilot-won-nadella). The report cites a single source.

**The numbers:** The $2 billion-plus figure compares with about $500 million a year in an earlier The Information report from early 2026. [AI Weekly summarised the new report](https://aiweekly.co/alerts/the-information-microsoft-on-track-to-pay-anthropic-2b-per-year-as-copilot) on 12 October.

**The details:** Microsoft is blending Claude with OpenAI models in Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. Anthropic's newer models reportedly performed better on advanced Excel financial functions and on generating PowerPoint decks from instructions.

**Who's affected:** New Office chief Charles Lamanna reportedly pushed CEO Satya Nadella to pay for Anthropic models despite the higher cost. Several senior executives reportedly name Lamanna as a potential Nadella successor.

**The context:** Customers had complained that Copilot was "buggy and not good enough at automating work in Excel or PowerPoint," according to the report's summary of those complaints.

**Why it matters:** The spending shows Microsoft using Anthropic models alongside OpenAI's in its flagship productivity products, and paying more to do so.

**The catch:** The report doesn't say whether Microsoft is buying API inference, dedicated capacity or a longer-term commitment. It also doesn't say who absorbs the cost gap between Anthropic and OpenAI models.

**What's next:** Neither company has confirmed the $2 billion figure. It rests on one outlet and one source.

## Key takeaways

- Reported Anthropic spend tops $2 billion a year
- Claude now sits alongside OpenAI models in Office apps
- Figure rests on one source; neither firm confirmed it

## Sources

- [Microsoft on Track to Pay Anthropic $2B+ a Year for Copilot (summary of The Information's report)](https://aiweekly.co/alerts/the-information-microsoft-on-track-to-pay-anthropic-2b-per-year-as-copilot) — AI Weekly, 2026-10-12
- [Microsoft's new Office chief fixed Copilot, won Nadella (original report)](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsofts-new-office-chief-fixed-copilot-won-nadella) — The Information, 2026-10-12