World · India Bureau
Eric Schmidt's early Anthropic bet poised for major returns
The former Google chief's minority stake in the AI startup stands to deliver substantial gains as the company's valuation surges. Schmidt's Series A investment of tens of millions of dollars positions him among early backers of the Claude-maker.
LSN India ·
Eric Schmidt, who led Google through its transformation into a technology powerhouse, appears positioned to secure significant financial returns from his early backing of Anthropic, the artificial intelligence startup founded by former OpenAI researchers.
Schmidt's approximately 1 percent stake in Anthropic stems from a substantial investment during the company's Series A funding round. The former tech executive joined other prominent investors in betting on the startup's potential to develop advanced AI systems and compete in an increasingly crowded market.
Anthropiс has secured multiple rounds of funding at escalating valuations, transforming early investors' commitments into considerably more valuable holdings. The company's development of Claude, its AI assistant, has generated significant market interest and positioned it as a notable competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Schmidt's investment reflects a broader pattern among technology veterans moving capital into emerging AI ventures. His early entry into Anthropic's capitalization table contrasts with his more public roles advising governments and institutions on artificial intelligence policy.