Anthropic plans to allocate 5% of its shares to public benefit fund
The proposal requires stockholder approval and would let the board add shares as the company’s valuation increases.
Anthropic has proposed allocating 5% of its shares to the new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, subject to stockholder approval. The AI company said the fund could support nonprofits or make payments directly to specific groups, including efforts addressing AI’s effects on employment.
The board would be able to allocate another 2% of shares whenever the company’s value climbs 50% beyond a specified baseline. Anthropic has not disclosed that baseline.
Rather than establishing a charity, Anthropic plans to use a wholly owned limited liability company. It said that structure would allow greater flexibility across forms of giving. The company also said the fund’s Anthropic shares would not finance lobbying or political contributions anywhere.
Anthropic said the proposal builds on commitments by its co-founders to donate 80% of their equity and a program matching employees’ share donations. About half its employees take part. Including earlier pledges, approximately 20% of the company’s shares would be earmarked for public benefit, it said, excluding potential additions tied to valuation growth.
Anthropic operates as a public benefit corporation, which must consider public interests as well as profits. It said most mission-related activities, including AI safety research and nonprofit discounts, would remain within the business.
The company plans to provide further details about the fund’s governance, structure and valuation milestones in the coming months, along with a public benefit report tracking progress.
