Eric Schmidt Owns Significant Stake in AI Lab Anthropic, Nearly Half of CEO's Share

Image: TechCrunch · Source

Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt reportedly holds about 1% of AI startup Anthropic, roughly half the stake of CEO Dario Amodei, based on Bloomberg's report on the company's early funding valuation.

Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, has become a notable shareholder in the leading artificial intelligence startup Anthropic. According to a report by Bloomberg cited in TechCrunch, Schmidt owns approximately 1% of Anthropic. This stake originated from his investment during the company’s Series A funding round in 2021, when Anthropic’s valuation was about $461 million, according to PitchBook.

This ownership is particularly significant when compared to the roughly 2% stake held by Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s co-founder and CEO. If these reported figures are accurate, Schmidt’s investment in Anthropic is substantial, given his share is nearly half of the CEO’s own ownership in the company.

Anthropic is widely anticipated to undergo a public offering before the end of 2026. Market estimates have projected the company’s valuation could reach up to $2 trillion at that time. Should this high valuation materialize, Schmidt’s stake alone could potentially increase his net worth by as much as $20 billion, adding to his estimated current net worth of $57.5 billion.

Since stepping down from his role at Google in 2011, Schmidt has remained an active investor in the technology sector. He manages investments through various entities such as Tomorrow Ventures, Innovation Endeavors Management, and his family office, Hillspire. In addition to Anthropic, Schmidt has also invested in other AI companies including Mistral, General Intuition, and Reflection AI.

Neither Schmidt nor Anthropic provided immediate comments regarding the report. This development highlights the growing influence of prominent tech investors like Schmidt in the expanding artificial intelligence industry.