# The Business Opportunity of AI

**Source:** IDC, commissioned by Microsoft · **Published:** Jan 1, 2026 · **Format:** Survey data · **Category:** Market data
**Measures:** Cost

The source of the "$3.70 return per dollar spent" figure that circulates across the category, usually stripped of attribution. A survey of 2,000 enterprises, sponsored by a vendor with a direct stake in the answer — read the multiple, but reconcile it against your own invoice before citing it.

> $3.70 claimed return per dollar of AI spend. — IDC / Microsoft, cited widely, 2026

**Useful for:** Grounding a deck

Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-cloud/blog/