AI Agents: Y Combinator’s Garry Tan Uses Them So Much He Spends $200K a Year on Tokens | TechCrunch
A costly AI habit
On Walter Isaacson’s podcast The Builders, scheduled to publish Tuesday, Tan described how much he spends using AI agents. He put the annual cost at about $100,000 to $200,000.
Tan uses agents for many work projects and coding tasks. He has also shared gstack, a collection of 23 Claude Code skills on GitHub, to show others what agents can do.
Agents reach into daily life
Tan uses an agent to research Isaacson’s podcast and prepare for questions, as well as to help manage personal tasks. He said it has read his email, Dropbox and Apple Notes, including therapy notes spanning 20 years.
He likened an agent to a companion that understands its user and can offer suggestions or anticipate needs. Tan has previously joked about experiencing “cyber psychosis” and sometimes sleeping very little because he is excited to work with agents.
A new tool inside YC
Tan, an early OpenClaw adopter and now a power user, said people should not judge agents solely by standards used for traditional software. He argued that excessive concern about repeatability and safety can limit the advantages of working with an agent that behaves more like a person.
Y Combinator is using an internal agent called Stray Light to help change how the organization operates. Tan said it has a personality and a company-wide knowledge base containing context on founders backed by YC, people who have emailed the organization and its applications.
Costs and control concerns
Tan expects personal AI agents to become more common, but said their current expense is a barrier. He described his own spending as a privilege not everyone can afford.
He also questioned whether free agents controlled by major technology companies are the best answer. Tan said he would like people to have personal AI they can control and program, rather than rely on an algorithm controlled by a large company.
Key points
- Tan estimates his annual token spending at $100,000 to $200,000.
- He uses agents for coding, research and personal tasks.
- YC’s internal agent, Stray Light, draws on extensive company context.
- Tan says agent costs must fall and users should control their personal AI.