OpenAI and Anthropic spent a combined $3.17 million on federal lobbying in the second quarter of 2026, up 23% from Q1, according to federal lobbying disclosures analyzed by CNBC. The increase marks a record for both companies and arrives as each prepares for a potential initial public offering later this year.
Anthropic accounted for $1.97 million of the total, a 26% increase from Q1. OpenAI spent $1.2 million, up nearly 18%. Both companies reported lobbying on cybersecurity, copyright, cloud computing, and defense procurement.
Anthropic Now Outspends Nvidia
The spending levels put the two AI labs in striking distance of some of Washington’s biggest corporate lobbying operations. Anthropic’s Q2 total exceeded Nvidia’s $1.25 million and nearly matched Oracle’s $2 million. OpenAI came within $50,000 of Nvidia’s spending, according to CNBC’s analysis.
Year over year, the growth is sharper. Anthropic’s Q2 2026 lobbying spending more than doubled compared to Q2 2025. OpenAI’s nearly doubled over the same period.
Big Tech Holds Steady, Defense Pulls Back
The “Magnificent Seven” tech companies (Meta, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, and Tesla) spent a combined $21.25 million on federal lobbying in Q2, essentially unchanged from $21.27 million in Q1, per CNBC. Meta led at $5.99 million, though its spending fell 15% from Q1. Google increased 25% to $3.57 million and Microsoft rose 13% to $2.69 million.
Meanwhile, the eight largest U.S. defense contractors cut combined lobbying spending 3.3% to $19.68 million. RTX reduced its spending by $600,000. L3Harris posted the steepest percentage decline at nearly 45%.
IPOs and Midterms as Catalysts
The spending surge comes at the intersection of two timelines. Both OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for IPOs that could land as early as late 2026. Simultaneously, the AI industry is working to shape policy ahead of November midterm elections, where AI governance, copyright, and export controls are expected to be active legislative issues.
The lobbying disclosures reflect a shift from voluntary cooperation with regulators to active legislative positioning. Two years ago, frontier AI companies relied primarily on executive relationships and public commitments to safety. Federal lobbying spending by AI startups was negligible. The Q2 2026 numbers show that period is over.