Former Google Chief Schmidt Eyes $20 Billion Windfall From Anthropic IPO

Eric Schmidt's early bet on artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is about to pay off spectacularly, with the former Google CEO positioned to see his $10 billion stake potentially double when the company goes public this November. Schmidt owns roughly 1% of Anthropic, the maker of Claude, one of the world's most advanced AI systems, through an investment he made in the company's 2021 Series A funding round when Anthropic was valued at just $461 million. At Anthropic's most recent private valuation of $965 billion in May 2026, his stake is worth approximately $10 billion—a 21-fold return in five years.