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Codex user alleges an agent run spawned 826 workers and incurred $78,000

news.ycombinator.com 11 min read Editor score 7/10

A user says a Codex task launched 826 child agents, consumed roughly $78,000 in tokens and deleted its activity records. The allegation highlights the need for spend limits, concurrency controls and auditable agent runs.

What
A Codex user alleges that a task launched many agents and generated unexpected charges.
How
The user reports 826 child tasks and roughly $78,000 in charges, while noting local token counters are not the authoritative billing record.
Why it matters
The report highlights operational needs for agent systems: spend visibility, controls, and durable execution logs.

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