Eric Schmidt Holds Roughly 1% Stake in Anthropic, About Half of CEO Dario Amodei’s Holding, Bloomberg Reports

Bloomberg reports that Eric Schmidt, the former chief executive of Google, owns roughly a 1% share in Anthropic, the artificial‑intelligence research lab known for its safety‑first approach to large language models. That proportion is about half of the stake held by Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei.

Anthropic, founded in 2020 by former OpenAI researchers, has quickly become a prominent player in the competitive AI field. The company has attracted billions of dollars in venture capital and recently secured a multi‑billion‑dollar partnership with Google to integrate its models into the tech giant’s cloud services. Its focus on “constitutional AI” – a framework intended to make models more interpretable and aligned with human values – sets it apart from many peers.

Schmidt’s involvement reflects his long‑standing interest in artificial intelligence. After stepping down as Google’s CEO in 2011, he served as executive chairman of Alphabet and continued to shape the conglomerate’s AI strategy. His personal investments in AI‑focused startups have been widely reported, and his stake in Anthropic adds another high‑profile name to the lab’s investor roster.

The size of Schmidt’s holding, while modest in absolute terms, is noteworthy because it signals confidence from a veteran of the tech industry. Owning about half of what Amodei possesses suggests that the founder‑CEO retains a larger personal commitment to the company’s direction, while Schmidt’s participation may provide strategic insight and credibility in future fundraising rounds.

Anthropic’s rapid rise occurs amid a broader surge of capital flowing into AI research. Companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Meta have each pledged billions to develop their own generative‑AI capabilities, and venture firms are racing to back promising startups. In that environment, high‑profile investors like Schmidt can help a company differentiate itself and secure the resources needed to compete at scale.

Analysts note that Schmidt’s stake is unlikely to alter Anthropic’s day‑to‑day operations, but it could pave the way for deeper collaboration with Alphabet’s ecosystem, especially given the existing cloud partnership. As the AI sector continues to evolve, the involvement of seasoned industry figures may shape both governance practices and the strategic choices that determine which labs emerge as long‑term leaders.