• FTX is selling its stake in AI startup Anthropic, with a potential sale of the $500 million stake expected to fetch a nine-figure sum.
• Google has recently invested approximately $300 million in Anthropic in exchange for a 10 percent stake.
• A judge has denied FTX’s request to join in the mediation between now-bankrupt crypto lender Genesis Global and its parent company Digital Currency Group (DCG).
FTX Selling Stake in AI Startup Anthropic
FTX, the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange, is looking to offload its stake in AI startup Anthropic. Perella Weinberg, the boutique bank overseeing FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings, is reportedly discussing the potential sale of Anthropic’s stake with interested parties. The cryptocurrency exchange was estimated to own as much as $500 million worth of shares when it filed for bankruptcy last year.
AI Boom Spurs Growth of Anthropic
Due to the recent boom of AI technology and growing demand for it, Anthropic has experienced significant growth lately. It is now one of the most valuable companies in the industry with a valuation of $4.6 billion following its most recent funding round at $750 million. As such, bankers are expecting a nine-figure sum from selling FTX’s stake which will then be distributed among former customers. There is debate whether they should sell all or keep some shares for future growth opportunities.
Anthropic’s Chatbot Claude
Anthropic was launched in 2021 by former OpenAI employees and is currently developing Claude – a general purpose artificial intelligence chatbot that could potentially rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT which has been making waves online recently. Claude has not yet been released publicly but there is speculation that it could soon become available for use across various platforms and devices.
Google Invests In Anthropic
In addition to having backing from FTX before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last November, Google also invested approximately $300 million in Anthropic this year giving them 10% ownership over the company. This investment further increased their value on top of already soaring valuations thanks to increased public interest and demand for AI technologies during this period.
Judge Denies FTX Request
In other news related to FTX’s bankruptcy saga, Judge Sean Lane recently denied their request to join DCG and Genesis Global’s settlement talks where they were aiming to develop revised payout proposals amongst themselves as well as major creditors involved in the case while Sam Bankman-Fried prepares his defense against criminal charges issued against him by US prosecutors earlier this year leading him to be arrested and extradited from The Bahamas..