In April 2022, Sam Bankman-Fried and his associates invested $580 million in the AI company Anthropic. Bankman-Fried had previously acquired an 8% stake in the firm for approximately $500 million in 2021. Following the collapse of FTX and the subsequent conviction of its founder, the bankruptcy estate sold the shares in 2024 for about $1.3 billion.
The current valuation of Anthropic is estimated at $380 billion. Despite the divestment, critics suggest that the network of organizations once supported by Bankman-Fried continues to influence the AI safety discourse. These groups, including Coefficient Giving and Longview Philanthropy, fund various journalism and research initiatives focused on artificial intelligence risks.
Anthropic has expanded its operations through the Claude Corps program, which embeds approximately 1,000 trained individuals into more than 400 nonprofit organizations. CEO Dario Amodei has advocated for mandatory third-party testing of frontier models, a stance that has drawn scrutiny from critics who argue these regulatory efforts mirror previous lobbying tactics.
The political landscape regarding AI regulation has shifted significantly. In December 2025, an executive order was signed to preempt state-level AI laws, while some members of Congress have suggested that safety responsibilities should rest primarily with developers. Anthropic increased its federal lobbying expenditure to $3.53 million during the first half of 2026.
