Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co has placed its biggest bet yet on the artificial intelligence boom, approving up to $1 billion of investment in Anthropic and OpenAI and a further $40.9 billion of spending on chip factories, turning record profits into a deeper stake in its biggest customers.

The TSMC Anthropic OpenAI investment, announced on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, comes as demand for the chips that power AI data centres surges. TSMC reported record third-quarter results, and its board used the meeting to raise the dividend to a record and approve spending that will shape its factories for years.

Key Points

• TSMC's board approved up to $500 million for Anthropic common shares at the IPO price and up to $500 million for OpenAI preferred stock.
• The board also approved up to $500 million to set up an investment company for strategic stakes in semiconductor firms, taking the total package to up to $1.5 billion.
• About $40.93 billion was approved for advanced manufacturing capacity, advanced packaging, fab construction and 2027 research and development.
• TSMC raised its third-quarter cash dividend to a record NT$9.0 per share, up from NT$7.0 in each of the first two quarters of 2026.
• Third-quarter revenue hit a record NT$1,494.24 billion (about $45.5 billion) and net income NT$763.06 billion (about $23.23 billion), up 68.7 percent year on year.

What Happened

TSMC said on Tuesday its board had approved up to $500 million in Anthropic common shares at the AI company's IPO price, and up to $500 million in OpenAI preferred stock. The two stakes together are worth up to $1 billion, and the package also includes up to $500 million to establish an investment company that will take strategic stakes in semiconductor firms.

Anthropic, developer of the Claude AI assistant, has set its IPO price range at $70 to $78 a share and is expected to raise up to $64.4 billion, with pricing on November 18. TSMC Partners is among seven buyers in Anthropic's concurrent $26 billion private placement of non-voting Class N stock, taking about 6.76 million shares for about $500 million at the $74 midpoint.

The board also approved about $40.93 billion in capital appropriations for advanced manufacturing capacity, advanced packaging, fab construction and 2027 research and development, on top of TSMC's $60 billion to $64 billion capital expenditure forecast for 2026. The third-quarter dividend rises to a record NT$9.0 per share, about $0.27, paid April 8, 2027.

Background and Context

TSMC makes the most advanced chips in the world, and nearly every leading AI company depends on it. Nvidia, AMD, Apple, Broadcom and Qualcomm all rely on TSMC's factories, and Anthropic and OpenAI are among its most important indirect customers, since their models run on chips TSMC manufactures.

The company reported record third-quarter results: revenue of NT$1,494.24 billion, about $45.5 billion, and net income of NT$763.06 billion, about $23.23 billion, up 68.7 percent year on year. Demand for advanced chips used in AI servers drove the results, and TSMC's most advanced processes are effectively the only option at scale.

TSMC's Anthropic and OpenAI Investment in Detail

The Anthropic stake is the simpler of the two. TSMC will buy up to $500 million of Anthropic common shares at the IPO price, joining a $26 billion private placement in which Google and Nvidia are each buying $10 billion. At the $74 midpoint of Anthropic's $70 to $78 range, TSMC's $500 million would buy about 6.76 million shares of non-voting Class N stock.

Anthropic is expected to raise up to $64.4 billion in its IPO, the largest ever attempted, and to begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker ANT on November 19, with pricing set for November 18. Run-rate revenue reached roughly $81 billion as of October 31, up $10 billion in a single month.

The OpenAI stake is different. TSMC will buy up to $500 million of OpenAI preferred stock, a claim on the private company's finances without the voting rights of common shares. The third leg, up to $500 million for a new investment company, gives TSMC a vehicle to invest across the chip supply chain, from materials and equipment to smaller chip designers.

Reactions and Analysis

The scale of the capital appropriations, about $40.93 billion, is the clearest signal of TSMC's confidence in the AI boom. The money will go into advanced manufacturing capacity, advanced packaging, fab construction and research and development in 2027, the areas where TSMC's lead over rivals is widest and where demand from AI customers is most intense.

Advanced packaging has become one of the most important parts of the AI chip business, because the most powerful AI processors are now built by combining several chips into a single package. TSMC's packaging capacity is a bottleneck for the whole industry, and the new spending suggests the company expects that bottleneck to persist.

Why It Matters

TSMC is the single most important company in the global chip supply chain, and its board decisions move markets. A $40.9 billion spending programme will ripple through equipment makers, materials suppliers and construction firms in Taiwan, the United States and Japan, and shape AI computing capacity in 2027 and beyond.

The $1 billion of AI investments matters for a different reason. TSMC has traditionally stayed out of its customers' equity, preferring to remain a neutral manufacturer for all of them. Buying into Anthropic and OpenAI breaks that pattern, and it signals that TSMC sees the AI companies not just as customers but as partners whose success is now tied to its own.

What Happens Next

Anthropic's IPO pricing on November 18 will set the price TSMC pays for its shares, and trading is expected to begin on the Nasdaq on November 19 under the ticker ANT. The OpenAI preferred stock purchase and the new investment company will follow over the coming months, subject to the usual closing conditions.

The $40.93 billion will be spent over the coming years, with fab construction and advanced packaging the most visible parts. TSMC's 2026 capital expenditure forecast already stands at $60 billion to $64 billion, and the new approvals suggest spending will stay at a similar scale in 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is TSMC investing in Anthropic and OpenAI? Up to $500 million in Anthropic shares at the IPO price and up to $500 million in OpenAI preferred stock, plus up to $500 million for a new semiconductor investment company.

What is the $40.9 billion for? About $40.93 billion in capital appropriations for expanding advanced manufacturing capacity, advanced packaging, fab construction and 2027 research and development.

How much did TSMC earn in the third quarter? Record revenue of NT$1,494.24 billion (about $45.5 billion) and record net income of NT$763.06 billion (about $23.23 billion), up 68.7 percent year on year.

What is TSMC's new dividend? A record NT$9.0 per share for the third quarter, up from NT$7.0 in each of the first two quarters of 2026, with payment due on April 8, 2027.

When does Anthropic's IPO price? Pricing is expected on November 18, 2026, with trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker ANT expected to begin on November 19.

Read more: Anthropic sets $70-$78 IPO price range; Anthropic IPO roadshow begins; Taiwan stocks plunge.