The $200B AI Valuation Leap: Why CFOs Are Still Terrified

Anthropic’s valuation soared from $60 billion to "a couple hundred billion dollars" in 2026, yet corporate leaders remain divided. Hemant Taneja, a partner at General Catalyst, calls this shift "completely changed" the business landscape.

Meanwhile, Bob Sternfels of McKinsey & Company warns that non-tech enterprises are "torn between CFOs (ROI skepticism) and CIOs (disruption urgency)."

The math behind Anthropic’s leap defies traditional valuation models. While Stripe’s growth trajectory followed predictable SaaS metrics, Anthropic’s surge reflects speculative bets on AI’s long-term dominance.

Taneja argues the old career model—22 years of education, 40 years of work—is "broken," but CFOs still demand proof of ROI.

McKinsey’s 2026 strategy reveals a practical response: deploying personalized AI agents to match their employee count while shifting 25% more staff to client-facing roles. This "staffing inversion" prioritizes human-AI collaboration over pure automation.

By 2026, the firm expects AI to handle routine tasks, freeing employees for high-value client interactions—a move that could boost revenue per employee by 15-20%.

Sternfels’ claim that "sound judgment and creativity" are AI-proof skills faces a test in hiring data. Despite this, LinkedIn reports a 37% increase in AI-related job postings in 2026, with 68% requiring "judgment" or "creativity" in job descriptions.

The contradiction suggests enterprises still seek hybrid roles where humans oversee AI systems rather than replace them.