According to a report by CoinDesk, bankrupt exchange FTX plans to sell its stake in artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic. Court documents filed on Friday reveal a motion seeking court approval for a proposed sale process, stating that FTX and its sister investment company Alameda invested $500 million in Anthropic in 2021, leaving FTX with approximately 8% of the company’s shares by January 2024. Previous rumors suggested that Anthropic was valued at $18 billion in its latest funding round, which would value FTX’s stake at around $1.4 billion. In fact, FTX had attempted to sell its stake in Anthropic last year, but the plan was put on hold in June 2023 after potential buyers conducted months of due diligence. The restructuring team at FTX stated in Friday’s documents that setting up the current sale process would allow them to coordinate the best and most appropriate timing for the sale of Anthropic shares, aligning with the company’s own financing plans, in order to maximize value for all stakeholders. A hearing on this motion may take place later this month.
