Menu
Sign In Search Podcasts Libraries Charts People & Topics Add Podcast API Blog Pricing
Podcast Image

Better Offline

Monologue: Anthropic Is Not Profitable Unless You Remove Its Costs

22 May 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 3.763 Unknown

This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.

0

5.228 - 21.81 Jonas Brothers

Hey guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.

0

22.09 - 33.345 Jonas Brothers

Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know. Tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

0

33.713 - 49.056 Unknown

Run a business and not thinking about podcasting? Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than add supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. Learn how podcasting can help your business. Call 844-844-iHeart.

0

49.036 - 73.354 Robert Smigel

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy? Not quite. On Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group? The worst? Yeah. Me.

73.374 - 83.572 Robert Smigel

Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation to the group?

83.612 - 87.058 Unknown

The Yardbirds, right? That's the name? The Harvard Yardbirds. They're open to change.

87.078 - 102.167 Robert Smigel

Do you have a name suggestion? We're open. Since you guys are middle-aged, one erection. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

102.327 - 107.614 Unknown

Humor me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny.

Chapter 2: What claims did Anthropic make about its profitability?

637.34 - 643.99 Jonas Brothers

Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

0

645.031 - 664.538 Unknown

Run a business and not thinking about podcasting? Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad-supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers listen to, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio.

0

664.518 - 672.561 Unknown

Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart. Streaming, radio, and podcasting. Call 844-844-iHeart to get started.

0

672.821 - 679.54 Robert Smigel

That's 844-844-iHeart.

0

Chapter 3: How does Anthropic's projected revenue compare to past reports?

679.52 - 699.191 Robert Smigel

Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their Between Songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group? The worst? Yeah. Me.

0

699.611 - 706.983 Robert Smigel

Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation?

0
0

707.515 - 713.163 Unknown

The Yardbirds, right? That's the name? The Harvard Yardbirds. They're open to change.

0

713.204 - 728.426 Robert Smigel

Do you have a name suggestion? We're open. Since you guys are middle-aged, one erection. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

728.547 - 734.215 Unknown

Humor me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny.

734.498 - 759.535 Renee Stubbs

The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garros. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French, right?

759.755 - 779.32 Renee Stubbs

And she likes clay. Listen, Lena Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface because if she's serving well, good luck. Consider this your courtside seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

779.34 - 783.068 Unknown

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

Chapter 4: What concerns arise from Anthropic's accounting methods?

979.668 - 997.566 Ed Zitron

I'm just humoring you for a second. If you're so profitable, why aren't you IPOing? Why not take this to the public markets? Unless, of course, you're only non-GAAP a bit to profitable based on a two-month long discount specifically covering the period in which you're profitable. I will give Dario Amadei credit. Nobody does it better.

0

998.006 - 1019.402 Ed Zitron

Nobody does financial engineering and press-led information war better than Anthropic. The utter willingness of the press to eat up incongruent numbers and the eagerness of many to jump up and find obtuse ways to explain away the obvious problems is only made possible when a company has perfected the art of manipulation and ingratiation of those who want to feel like they're first.

0

1020.007 - 1037.649 Ed Zitron

If you take this as an incontrovertible proof that Anthropic is profitable, you are deliberately ignoring the blatantly obvious ways these numbers are being massaged. We've got its CFO saying numbers that don't match up with any of their leaks or their own marketing materials, and the aggressive and deluded way in which people ignore them is equal parts frustrating and depressing.

0

1038.83 - 1061.708 Ed Zitron

So I want to speak to any AI boosters in the audience, and I want to speak with a little more empathy than usual. If you want Anthropic to win, you should be just as skeptical of these numbers as I am. You should want to smash my face in the tarmac with the most crystal clear, impossible to argue with numbers, bereft of asterisks or discounts from suppliers or obfuscated accounting metrics.

0

1061.728 - 1079.453 Ed Zitron

You should want better from your heroes. If you truly think this company is amazing, unstoppable, and leading the tech industry to a glorious era of innovation, there shouldn't be this many questions and the metrics shouldn't be this murky. Every other time when a company has played this level of silly, weird bullshit, it's led to disaster.

1079.914 - 1096.38 Ed Zitron

For example, WeWork claimed to be profitable since the second month of its operations and repeated those claims of profitability throughout its existence until it turned out it was only profitable if you remove things like some of the costs of doing business. And I get why you're so defensive, and I get why you want this to work.

1096.4 - 1107.473 Ed Zitron

A lot of you are very excited about generative AI, and being excited about it has given you a tremendous community of equally excited people. I get that you like these tools, and I need you to know that these companies are laughing at you.

1107.908 - 1128.256 Ed Zitron

Anthropic timed this leak to focus on a specific quarter where it artificially suppressed costs and gave you the flimsiest proof imaginable, specifically crafted for you to share it as a triumph and spread the idea that AI labs are actually profitable when their core economics haven't changed. Costs increase linearly with revenue and will continue to do so in perpetuity.

1128.937 - 1133.123 Ed Zitron

I genuinely can't wait for OpenAI and Anthropic to file their goddamn S1s.

Chapter 5: How did Anthropic manage to show profitability in Q2 2026?

1142.632 - 1161.595 Jonas Brothers

I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know. Tired and sick. Tired and sick.

0

1161.955 - 1168.763 Jonas Brothers

Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

0

1169.198 - 1193.486 Robert Smigel

Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy? Not quite. On Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their Between Songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group? The worst? Yeah. Me.

0

1193.506 - 1203.7 Robert Smigel

Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation to the group?

0

1203.74 - 1207.185 Unknown

The Yardbirds, right? That's the name? The Harvard Yardbirds. They're open to change.

1207.205 - 1222.435 Robert Smigel

Do you have a name suggestion? We're open. Since you guys are middle-aged, one erection. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

1222.455 - 1227.742 Unknown

Humor me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny.

1228.382 - 1249.008 Renee Stubbs

Winning on clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast for no-nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garros. Gentian win. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes clay.

1249.028 - 1260.765 Renee Stubbs

Listen, Lena Rybakina is arguably the best player in the world right now and actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Chapter 6: What implications does the SpaceX deal have for Anthropic's costs?

1260.785 - 1284.776 Unknown

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I put on 10 pounds.

0

1285.337 - 1298.835 Unknown

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.

0
Comments

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.