Apollo’s chief economist says AI delivers “zero financial return” to U.S. companies outside the tech industry.
Thorsten Sløk, Chief Economist at Apollo Global Management, analyzed the S&P 493 (the S&P 500 excluding seven tech giants) and found that non-tech firms’ profit margins are on par with per-capita revenue, with no evidence that AI has boosted productivity. He noted that AI lacks an understanding of key business factors such as accountability, trust, and corporate culture, and therefore has yet to deliver financial returns.
Why it matters：This view is based on empirical observations of the mainstream listed‑company universe (S&P 493), citing specific data ranges and limitations (excluding seven technology firms such as Alphabet and Amazon), and aligns with the findings of several recent studies, offering a verifiable analytical framework with clearly defined attribution boundaries.