KEY POINTS
- TSMC's board approved up to $500 million for OpenAI preferred stock and $500 million for Anthropic common shares at its expected IPO price.
- Analysts cited by The Wall Street Journal say circular financing makes it harder to gauge real demand for AI hardware and services.
- TSMC earned more than $23 billion in profit in the July to September 2026 quarter, its sixth straight record.
Taiwan's TSMC, the world's top contract chipmaker, is preparing to invest $1 billion in two leading AI developers, OpenAI and Anthropic, according to a report by Ars Technica. The move would give the manufacturer direct ownership stakes in companies that are among its customers' largest buyers of AI hardware.
