Anthropic prepares supervoting power for founders ahead of IPO: Report

Anthropic is reportedly preparing to grant CEO Dario Amodei and other co-founders a class of stock with elevated voting power, according to a report by The Information. This move aims to protect the founders from external shareholder pressure as the company prepares for a potential IPO later this year, anticipated to be one of the largest market debuts in history.

The specifics of the voting arrangements remain undisclosed, and the plans may still undergo changes. Anthropic's co-founders currently hold a small stake in the company, with Amodei owning roughly 2% of the shares, as stated by a person familiar with the matter. However, the implementation of dual-class structures, which grant supervoting power to leaders, is prevalent among founder-led companies and serves to provide founders with greater control and shield them from short-term shareholder pressure.

This development at Anthropic follows the company's structure as a public benefit corporation, legally obligated to balance commercial success with social and public benefit, and its Long-Term Benefit Trust, an independent oversight body ensuring the startup fulfills its public benefit mission.