Anthropic launches public benefit fund with 5% of shares, Musk counters with SpaceX plan

Anthropic sets up public benefit fund

Anthropic is launching the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, which will hold five percent of the company's shares subject to shareholder approval. The fund could make large donations to traditional nonprofits or explore direct payouts to certain populations, with the main focus on disruption in the job market. CEO Dario Amodei has repeatedly warned about social and economic upheaval from fast-moving AI systems, and the company has already committed $200 million to research labor market effects. According to the announcement, bolder approaches may now be needed.

For every 50 percent the company's valuation rises above a set baseline, the fund could receive another two percent of shares, though these top-ups are at the board's discretion. Anthropic pitches the fund as the opposite of the growth-linked stock packages handed to executives. The co-founders pledged 80 percent of their shares when they started the company, and employees have a donation-matching program, which together puts about 20 percent of equity toward the public good.

Control stays with Anthropic

The fund will be a wholly owned LLC subsidiary rather than a tax-exempt nonprofit, which Anthropic says gives it flexibility. It promises not to use capital for lobbying or political donations. Control over Anthropic's board rests with the Long-Term Benefit Trust, which holds no economic stake but appoints a majority of directors. After the IPO, founders are set to hold 50.1 percent of votes on major decisions through a special share.

IPO and reactions

Anthropic is preparing a major IPO that could raise up to $100 billion and value the company at around $2 trillion, with official filings expected in the coming weeks. Elon Musk responded on X by advising the company to give shares directly to the public, then said he plans to give one SpaceX share, worth about $146, to each of the roughly 72 million children in the U.S., about $10.5 billion in total, calling it the first of many. Google, by contrast, relies on traditional philanthropy such as its AI Opportunity Fund, which teaches AI skills and includes no direct payments.

The announcement draws comparisons with the OpenAI Foundation, which holds 26 percent of the for-profit OpenAI Group and appoints its board, though Anthropic's fund will not have that oversight role. Musk, an OpenAI co-founder who sued to block its restructuring and lost in May 2026, runs competitor xAI, which dropped its Public Benefit Corporation status in 2024.

Sources: The Decoder · the-decoder.com