Technology, artificial intelligence, and prediction market companies spent record amounts lobbying Washington in the first half of 2026, according to new federal disclosures filed this month.

Anthropic nearly tripled its federal lobbying spending during the period, outpacing rival OpenAI by more than $1 million as companies sought influence over emerging AI policy priorities. Federal lobbying disclosures show spending totals, agencies contacted, and broad policy issues, but they do not show whether lobbying produced specific policy outcomes.

Anthropic Outspends OpenAI on Federal Lobbying

The Financial Times reported that Anthropic nearly tripled its lobbying expenditure to $3.53 million. The company also added the Treasury Department to its list of lobbied agencies for the first time this quarter.

OpenAI nearly doubled its own lobbying spending to a record $2.22 million. Federal rules governing new model releases have become a leading item on the industry’s Washington agenda. Companies are also seeking influence over data center construction, power supply, and related policy areas, as AI systems require large-scale computing infrastructure and access to reliable electricity.

“The lobbying offensive has been as much about deterring regulation as making the case for an affirmative government industrial policy that supports the industry,” Amba Kak, co-executive director of AI Now Institute, said.

Issue One Counts 324 Lobbyists Across Six Companies

Overall, Issue One counted $41 million in combined lobbying spending from January to June. The figure covers 11 major technology, social media, and AI companies and their trade associations.

That total equals more than $226,000 per day and represents an 8% increase from $38 million in the same period of 2025.

Six of those companies retained 324 lobbyists during the second quarter alone. The group includes Alphabet, Anthropic, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI. That amounts to roughly one lobbyist for every 1.5 members of Congress.

Meta led second-quarter spending at nearly $6 million. Alphabet followed with $5.3 million, Microsoft with about $3 million, and Nvidia with $1.25 million.

Anthropic reported $1.97 million in lobbying spending for the quarter, its highest total since it began lobbying in March 2024. OpenAI spent $1.2 million over the same three-month period. Four years ago, Anthropic, Nvidia, and OpenAI had no federal lobbyists.

The increase in spending is not limited to technology and AI companies. Prediction market operators have also expanded their lobbying efforts in Washington as event-contract platforms face continued attention from financial regulators and lawmakers.

BeInCrypto reported that Kalshi spent $990,000 on lobbying in the first half of 2026. Including outside firms, its total reached nearly $1.8 million. Polymarket maintains a smaller lobbying footprint.