Microsoft's 2026 Staff Spreadsheet Shows AI Spending Median of $300, Top Bill of $28,000
A leaked internal spreadsheet shows Microsoft employees in the US are tracking artificial-intelligence tool spending alongside pay data in 2026. Nearly 600 employees had entered records, with about 350 disclosing AI usage costs. Median spending over the past 28 days was about $300, while the highest bill reached $28,000 from an employee in the Customer and Partner Solutions division. Microsoft is testing an internal tool to monitor AI usage, and the data reveal wide variation across teams, with no clear link between AI spending and rewards.
In 2026, Microsoft employees are not only comparing salaries but also their spending on AI tools. According to a leaked internal spreadsheet, hundreds of employees voluntarily and anonymously disclosed their pay rises, bonuses and stock awards, while also recording their AI tool expenses over the past month. At the time of the leak, the spreadsheet contained records for nearly 600 Microsoft employees in the US, of whom about 350 had entered AI usage amounts. Microsoft employees typically share such information voluntarily and anonymously to promote pay transparency, but the data are neither official nor complete. As of June 30, Microsoft had 223,000 employees, making the spreadsheet a limited sample.
Microsoft is offering employees an internal tool to track AI usage and related spending. A Microsoft spokesperson said the tool remains in early testing. Among the reported data, the median AI usage amount per employee over the past 28 days was about $300, with the highest record coming from an employee in the company's Customer and Partner Solutions division at $28,000. The data also show wide variation across teams, with some employees spending only a few dollars a month and others reaching tens of thousands of dollars.
Microsoft has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure and is pushing employees to integrate AI into their daily work. Compared with previous years, the 2026 spreadsheet adds a column asking employees to self-report their monthly AI usage amount through the internal tool. In the spreadsheet, there is no obvious correlation between reported AI usage and rewards received: higher AI usage did not correspond to higher bonus ratings, larger merit pay rises, or a greater likelihood of promotion.
Microsoft is not the only technology company tracking employee AI usage. As major tech firms invest tens of billions of dollars in developing AI models and infrastructure, the industry as a whole is stepping up its monitoring of AI usage.