Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX Could Have Made $12 Billion From Anthropic

AI firm Anthropic is reportedly negotiating a multi-billion-dollar funding round that could push its valuation to a staggering $150 billion.

According to a Financial Times report, the company is seeking to raise between $3 billion and $5 billion from investors in the Middle East.

FTX Missed $10 Billion Upside

This fresh capital would significantly enhance Anthropic’s ability to scale and compete with other major players in the AI space.

The reported potential valuation marks a dramatic rise from its earlier $61.5 billion figure. It has attracted interest from firms such as Abu Dhabi-based MGX and others focused on advanced technologies.

If successful, the funding would mark one of the largest AI investments to date. Anthropic’s ascent also casts new light on its earlier investors, particularly the now-defunct crypto exchange FTX.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried invested $500 million in Anthropic in 2021. He acquired an 8% stake when the company was valued at just $2.5 billion.

FTX later sold that investment for $1.4 billion during its bankruptcy proceedings, after Anthropic’s valuation rose to $18 billion.

With the startup now targeting a $150 billion valuation, that same 8% stake would be worth approximately $12 billion—an almost tenfold increase from what FTX recovered.

The missed gain reflects the broader impact of the bankruptcy on creditors and stakeholders who continue to seek compensation.

Meanwhile, FTX has already begun repaying creditors, with its latest distribution on May 30 disbursing nearly $5 billion.

The repayment process began in February. It prioritized smaller claimants with less than $50,000 in approved claims, including accrued interest since the exchange’s collapse in November 2022.

FTX will begin the next phase of payments on September 30. This round will cover Class 5 Customer Entitlement Claims, Class 6 General Unsecured Claims, and recently approved convenience claims.

These payouts are part of the broader recovery strategy outlined in the exchange’s reorganization plan.

However, not all creditors are set to receive payouts. The estate has excluded claimants from 49 countries it designates as “restricted jurisdictions,” including China.

This decision has sparked backlash from affected users, who argue the exclusions are unfair and could create troubling precedents for future international bankruptcy cases.