Artificial Intelligence

Anthropic Files for IPO, Ahead of OpenAI

Is this a bold leap toward AI transparency or a profit-driven retreat from Anthropic's public-interest mission?

Published JUN 2

Anthropic Files for IPO, Ahead of OpenAI

Story

Above: The Anthropic logo on a smartphone screen in Athens, Greece, on May 29. Image credit: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Facts

Anthropic confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO on Monday with the SEC, letting it potentially go public this fall depending on market conditions. The move positions the Claude maker ahead of rival OpenAI in the race to public markets.
NHK
Guardian
Anthropic
The company raised $65 billion in May at a $965 billion valuation — surpassing OpenAI — with annualized revenue reaching $47 billion. SpaceX plans a larger IPO next week targeting up to $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation.
FOX News
CBC
Reuters
Anthropic's growth accelerated after releases focusing on enterprise users, like Claude Code and Claude Cowork. It was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees and now competes with OpenAI and SpaceX for IPO timing.
Ynet
Shai Akabas
The Wall Street Journal
The IPO process involves SEC review of disclosures, with details on shares and pricing to be set later. Analysts note this could open the IPO market for major AI firms including OpenAI and SpaceX this year.
Financial Times
Shai Akabas
Anthropic's valuation has risen sharply from $380 billion in February, driven by product momentum and funding from investors like Sequoia Capital. The filing gives the company flexibility to proceed after regulatory review.
Guardian
The Wall Street Journal
Al Jazeera
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated there is no race to go public and the company will proceed when it makes sense. SpaceX and Anthropic filings highlight strong investor interest in AI companies seeking public capital.
CBC
The Wall Street Journal
NPR

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Anthropic just seized the AI narrative with a confidential IPO filing, giving public markets a first real crack at valuing frontier models. Disclosure and discipline can turbocharge growth, credibility and enterprise adoption. By setting the first benchmark at a $965 billion scale, Anthropic pressures OpenAI to follow on Anthropic’s terms.

U.S.A.I on X

Abhinav's Substack on Substack

Narrative B

Anthropic looks less like a public-interest lab and more like a closed platform sharpening margins ahead of an IPO. Subscription perks get carved up, third-party access gets walled off and government deals and massive GPU buys demand tighter monetization. A near-$950 billion tag with far smaller revenue signals bubble risk.