FTX Delays Sale of Its Interest in AI Startup Anthropic

**FTX Pauses Sale of Stake in Anthropic Amidst Controversy**
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In a surprising turn of events, cryptocurrency exchange FTX has decided to pause the sale of its stake in Anthropic, according to a report from Bloomberg by Paula Sambo, Jeremy Hill, and Yueqi Yang. This decision comes just one day after FTX’s new CEO, John J Ray III, accused the company’s former management of misappropriating and commingling assets, raising concerns about the origins of some political donations and venture capital investments made by FTX and its subsidiary, SBF. ​

**Anthropic: A Rising Star in the AI Industry**
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Anthropic has quickly gained recognition as a leader in the generative AI space. The company’s flagship product, Claude’s LLM, has garnered attention and has been integrated into popular platforms like Notion, Quora, and DuckDuckGo. In a recent investment round, Anthropic secured $450 million from investors including Google and Spark Capital, leading to a valuation reaching close to $5 billion, as reported by Reuters.
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**FTX’s Bet on Anthropic**
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Despite FTX’s recent collapse, it was discovered that the company held approximately $500 million worth of Anthropic stock at the time of its bankruptcy. Financial firm, Perella Weinberg Partners, serving as an advisor in FTX’s bankruptcy, had planned to liquidate these shares. However, this plan may be put on hold, offering a potential glimmer of hope for customers who suffered losses during FTX’s downfall. Experts estimate that FTX’s stake in Anthropic may be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, which would serve as a means of recovering funds for the affected customers.

**Sale of Stake in Anthropic Delayed**
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Recently, FTX made the decision to halt the sale of its Anthropic stake, as reported by Bloomberg. This decision follows accusations made by FTX’s new CEO, John J Ray III, against the former management team for misappropriating and commingling assets. There are concerns regarding the source of funding for certain political donations and venture capital investments made by FTX and SBF, which may have been financed by customer deposits.
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The duration of this delay is uncertain, as FTX, Perella, and Anthropic have not provided any official comments on the matter. Despite this setback, the interest in generative AI among venture capitalists and private investors remains strong, with many willing to pay a premium to gain a stake in Anthropic.
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**Implications for FTX and Anthropic**
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The sale of FTX’s stake in Anthropic has been under consideration for some time. Perella has been working closely with potential investors, conducting a thorough due diligence process that involves reviewing confidential information about FTX’s investment in Anthropic. Interested parties were required to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of this process.
 
In conclusion, FTX’s decision to pause the sale of its Anthropic stake has raised eyebrows in the industry. The allegations made by FTX’s new CEO have added further complications, as they raise questions about the company’s previous management and their handling of assets. This development has significant implications for both FTX and Anthropic. The future of the sale remains uncertain, and the involved parties have not provided any official statements. However, the interest in Anthropic within the investment community remains high.