AI companies Nvidia, OpenAI, and Anthropic reach record lobbying spending

Nvidia, OpenAI, and Anthropic reached record levels of federal lobbying expenditure in the United States between July and September 2026. According to an analysis by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), the three companies combined spent a total of $7.5 million during this period.

Nvidia reported the highest individual expenditure at $2.15 million, followed by Anthropic at $2.11 million and OpenAI at $1.53 million. Discrepancies in total reported figures arise from different accounting methods used by each firm under federal law.

The surge in spending coincides with increased regulatory pressure on the artificial intelligence industry. This includes civil subpoenas from the Federal Trade Commission to Anthropic and OpenAI regarding security incidents and privacy policies. Additionally, the spending follows a September 29 agreement at the White House where executives from major AI firms, including Google and Meta, committed to self-regulation through internal controls, board oversight, and external audits.