From $9B to $19B in Months: Anthropic’s Growth Defies Government Crackdown
Whether things are currently going well or poorly for Anthropic could be answered with “yes” — because both are true. While the AI company is supposed to be classified by the U.S. government as a supply chain risk and thus risks losing contracts; and a new funding round will certainly not be easier due to the dispute with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. President Donald Trump.
But: The maker of the Claude models is currently experiencing rapid growth and has increased its annualized revenue to nearly $20 billion. Most recently, the company delivered two hits with Claude Code and Claude Cowork, which sent stock prices of SaaS companies plummeting. Anthropic intends to legally challenge the classification as a supply chain risk.
Strong revenue growth in the first quarter of 2026
Anthropic has recently increased its run-rate revenue to over $19 billion. This represents more than a doubling compared to the $9 billion at the end of 2025 and a significant increase compared to around $14 billion from just a few weeks ago. The growth is primarily attributed to strong adoption of the company’s AI models and products, particularly the programming tool Claude Code.
The company, which was recently valued at $380 billion, is also experiencing growing popularity among end users. Anthropic’s main app is currently leading Apple’s download charts, suggesting a wave of support during the conflict with the Pentagon.
Conflict with the Department of Defense
On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk. This classification is normally used for companies from countries that the U.S. considers adversaries. The move came after months of negotiations that ended in a stalemate.
The conflict arose over two specific exceptions that Anthropic demanded for the use of its AI model Claude:
- Mass domestic surveillance of American citizens
- Fully autonomous weapons systems
Anthropic justifies its position by stating that current AI models are not reliable enough for fully autonomous weapons and that mass domestic surveillance constitutes a violation of fundamental rights. The company emphasizes that, to its knowledge, these exceptions have not impacted a single government mission to date.
Legal assessment and expected consequences
Anthropic describes the classification as a supply chain risk as “legally untenable” and has announced that it will challenge it in court if necessary. The company argues that Defense Secretary Hegseth does not have the statutory authority to implement his announcements.
According to Anthropic’s assessment, the following legal limits apply to the classification:
- The classification under 10 USC 3252 can legally only extend to the use of Claude in contracts with the Department of Defense
- It cannot affect how contractors use Claude for other customers
- Individual customers and commercial contracts remain completely unaffected
- Defense contractors may continue to use Claude for all purposes outside their contracts with the Department of Defense
Reactions and outlook
Dean Ball, a former White House advisor who contributed to the Trump administration’s AI action plan, called the classification an “attempted corporate murder.” Anthropic itself emphasizes that since June 2024, as the first leading AI company, it has deployed models in the classified networks of the U.S. government and has supported American armed forces.
“No amount of intimidation or punishment by the Department of Defense will change our position on mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons,” the company stated in an official statement.
The long-term impact of the Pentagon’s classification on Anthropic’s software sales to business customers, which have always been the core business, remains to be seen. The company assures its customers that its sales and support teams are available to answer questions and that it is a priority to protect customers from disruptions caused by these extraordinary events.
