Valued at $350 billion! Anthropic to buy back shares from employees

According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is planning an employee stock buyback program, valuing the company at at least $350 billion. This move would give the company's employees an opportunity to cash out part of their equity in one of the world's highest-valued AI startups. This valuation is consistent with the valuation being discussed in Anthropic’s ongoing fundraising talks. The $350 billion figure represents a doubling from $170 billion four months ago and is a pre-funding valuation, not including the funds being raised. The current funding round may raise more than $20 billion. Anthropic declined to comment on the matter. The specific details of the transaction have not yet been finalized, and the final scale will depend on how many shares eligible current and former employees decide to sell. Sources familiar with the matter say that funds for this secondary market transaction are being raised from investors. The valuation for the tender offer may also change depending on the progress of Anthropic’s current funding round and the company’s value. Secondary share sales are becoming an increasingly popular practice among startups, providing liquidity for employees in the fiercely competitive AI talent market, especially as more large startups choose to prolong their private status. Stripe and SpaceX have conducted similar transactions multiple times. Anthropic’s biggest competitor, OpenAI, also regularly conducts share sales, including a $6.6 billion secondary market transaction last October at a valuation of $500 billion. Both OpenAI and SpaceX have recently taken steps to prepare for initial public offerings. Risk Warning and Disclaimer The market involves risk; investment requires caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account the special investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, viewpoints, or conclusions herein are appropriate to their specific circumstances. Investment decisions based on this article are made at your own risk.