OpenAI Internal Memo Reveals 'Spud' Model and Strategy to Attack Anthropic's Market Position

Apr 14, 2026

OpenAI chief revenue officer Denise Dresser sent employees a weekend memo outlining strategic priorities and challenging competitor Anthropic's reported revenue figures. Dresser claims Anthropic overstates its $30 billion annualized revenue by approximately $8 billion through accounting treatment that grosses up revenue-sharing agreements with Google and Amazon, putting Anthropic's actual run rate at $22 billion versus OpenAI's $24 billion. The memo revealed a new model codenamed Spud that will significantly improve all OpenAI products and acknowledged Anthropic's enterprise lead in coding while criticizing the competitor as built on fear and elite control of AI. Dresser also blamed OpenAI's Microsoft partnership for limiting enterprise flexibility, even as Amazon recently announced plans to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI.

OpenAI's Accusations Against Anthropic's Revenue Reporting

▪Denise Dresser is OpenAI's chief new revenue officer.
▪OpenAI has a reported run rate of around $24 billion.
▪Denise Dresser objected to Anthropic grossing up revenue-sharing agreements with Google and Amazon instead of using net revenue figures.
▪Denise Dresser claimed in the memo that Anthropic uses accounting treatment that makes revenue look bigger than it is.
▪OpenAI claims that Anthropic is overstating its revenue situation by about $8 billion.
▪OpenAI believes Anthropic's actual revenue run rate is $22 billion.
▪Denise Dresser sent a memo to OpenAI employees over the weekend detailing OpenAI's strategy going forward.
▪Bloomberg reported that Anthropic's annualized revenue is trending over $30 billion.

Strategic Partnerships with Amazon and Microsoft

▪Denise Dresser blamed OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft as a hurdle that limited OpenAI's ability to meet enterprises where they are.
▪Amazon recently announced plans to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI.

OpenAI's Criticism of Anthropic's Business Strategy and Leadership

▪Sam Altman said at OpenAI's launch that he sleeps better knowing he can have some influence now.
▪Denise Dresser acknowledged that Anthropic has a significant lead among enterprise customers thanks to its advantage in coding.
▪Denise Dresser wrote that you do not want to be a single-product company in a platform war.
▪Denise Dresser claimed that Anthropic is built on fear, restriction, and the idea that a small group of elites should control AI.