Anthropic is asking shareholders to approve a new structure that would grant its seven co-founders special shares carrying a combined 50.1 per cent of the vote on most corporate matters. This arrangement requires at least three of the founders to maintain a minimum stake and would remain in effect after the company goes public. The Information reports the request will be presented in the coming days.
The move mirrors how Mark Zuckerberg retained control of Meta while Evan Spiegel held power at Snap, yet the group approach differs. The founders own just two per cent of the company each and have pledged to donate 80 per cent of their wealth. These special shares carry no extra economic value but preserve the group’s control once trading begins. The Long-Term Benefit Trust would still select most of the board, while founder seats would increase from two to three. Employees would receive stock to break ties on specific issues.
- Five-year-old Anthropic was valued at $965 billion in May.
- The secondary market recently valued the firm at $1.5 trillion.
- The upcoming IPO is expected to reflect this higher valuation.
