Anthropic’s highly anticipated IPO filing, released today, shows that the company’s seven co-founders—including CEO Dario Amodei and president Daniela Amodei—will retain majority voting control even after the company goes public. The move ensures that the founding team will continue to steer the direction of one of the world’s most prominent artificial intelligence firms, according to the latest filings and media reports.
The IPO documents reveal that each co-founder holds roughly 1.4% of Anthropic, with individual stakes valued at more than $13 billion, according to Bloomberg and Business Insider. Dario Amodei owns approximately 240.6 million shares and also controls voting proxies over an additional 4.6 million shares, while Daniela Amodei holds about 241.4 million shares. Other co-founders, including Christopher Olah, Jared Kaplan, and Jack Clark, possess similar share counts.
To maintain control, Anthropic plans to issue a special Class F share to an LLC managed by the seven co-founders. This single share will carry 50.1% of the company’s total voting power on matters submitted to shareholders, including the election of directors, according to Business Insider and MarketWatch. The structure is designed to ensure that the founders’ influence extends well beyond their economic stakes in the company.
In addition to the founders’ voting rights, Anthropic’s governance includes a Long-Term Benefit Trust (LTBT), which holds special Class T shares. The LTBT is managed by a group of financially disinterested trustees who have the authority to elect and remove most of the company’s board of directors, as outlined in the IPO filing. This arrangement is intended to prioritize long-term safety and public benefit over short-term financial gains, according to PBS News and MarketWatch.
The IPO could potentially double the founders’ fortunes, with some estimates placing Dario Amodei’s wealth at $29 billion if Anthropic achieves a $2 trillion valuation, as reported by Bloomberg. However, the exact number of shares each founder intends to sell has not been disclosed in the filing, leaving some uncertainty about the final distribution of ownership after the public offering.
Anthropic was co-founded in 2021 by a group of former OpenAI researchers, including the Amodei siblings, following their departure from OpenAI. The company has since become a major player in the generative AI sector, with its Claude model gaining significant traction among corporate clients seeking advanced AI solutions.
Industry analysts note that Anthropic’s dual-class share structure and the role of the Long-Term Benefit Trust are unusual among technology IPOs, reflecting growing concerns about the societal impact and governance of artificial intelligence companies. The arrangement is seen as a way to balance founder control with independent oversight focused on public safety.
As the IPO process moves forward, investors and industry observers will be watching closely for further disclosures on share sales and the company’s final valuation. The timeline for Anthropic’s public debut and the precise impact on the founders’ wealth remain to be confirmed.
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