OpenAI rival Anthropic selling FTX stake, but Saudi buyers left out of consideration: report

Deals • March 22, 2024, 4:43PM EDT

Published 1 minute earlier on

Quick Take

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, a competitor of OpenAI, wants to sell shares owned by the defunct crypto exchange FTX, but Saudi Arabian investors are not being considered, according to a report that cites anonymous sources.
FTX owns an 8% stake in Anthropic worth more than $1 billion.

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is looking for a buyer to purchase a stake in the company currently owned by the defunct crypto exchange FTX but has ruled out selling to investors from Saudi Arabia, according to a report from CNBC, which cites anonymous sources.

"As bankers line up a group of potential new Anthropic backers, the company has ruled out taking money from the Saudis, according to people familiar with the matter. Anthropic executives cited national security, one of the sources told CNBC," the report said.

Three years ago, FTX bought shares in Anthropic for $500 million. Now, the 8% stake in the high-profile AI startup is valued at more than $1 billion. FTX is selling the Anthropic shares as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, and funds from the sale will be used to help reimburse clients who lost money after the cryptocurrency exchange went bankrupt.

"The transaction is ongoing and is on track to wrap up in the next couple weeks," according to the report, which once again cited anonymous sources.

UAE fund Mubadala interested in Anthropic shares

Anthropic is considering selling FTX's stake to "other sovereign wealth funds," including the United Arab Emirates-based Mubadala, which has shown interest in purchasing Anthropic shares, the report also said.

In December, Anthropic was valued at $18.4 billion. A judge approved the plan for FTX to sell its shares in the AI startup in February.

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About Author

RT Watson is a senior reporter at The Block who covers a wide array of topics including U.S.-based companies, blockchain gaming and NFTs. Formerly covered entertainment at The Wall Street Journal, where he wrote about Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. and the creator economy while focusing primarily on technological disruption across media. Previous to that he covered corporate, economic and political news in Brazil while at Bloomberg. RT has interviewed a diverse cast of characters including CEOs, media moguls, top influencers, politicians, blue-collar workers, drug traffickers and convicted criminals. Holds a master's degree in Digital Sociology.