Anthropic launches up to $6B staff share sale

Anthropic is offering current and former employees the opportunity to sell shares in a secondary transaction that could total between $5 billion and $6 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The share sale values the company at roughly $350 billion, enabling eligible staff to cash out at a level comparable to its recent major fundraising round, News.Az reports, citing Bloomberg.

Earlier this month, Anthropic completed a new funding round that valued the company at $380 billion on a post-money basis, including fresh capital from investors.

The final size of the secondary offering will depend on how many eligible employees decide to participate, one source said, noting that the details are still being finalized and could change. Anthropic declined to comment on the planned transaction.

Under the arrangement, outside investors — not the company itself — will purchase shares directly from insiders. The offer will be open to current and former employees who have worked at Anthropic for at least 12 months.

Secondary share sales have become an increasingly common strategy among high-growth startups, allowing employees to realize gains tied to rising valuations without waiting for an acquisition or initial public offering. The approach has gained prominence in the competitive artificial intelligence talent market, where many companies are opting to remain private for longer periods.

Other major technology firms have adopted similar strategies. Stripe and SpaceX have both conducted secondary transactions to provide liquidity to employees. Meanwhile, OpenAI — Anthropic’s largest rival — has regularly facilitated share sales, including a $6.6 billion secondary offering last year at a $500 billion valuation.

Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX have all recently taken steps that could pave the way toward eventual initial public offerings, signaling continued evolution in the fast-growing AI and private tech sectors.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev