Anthropic commits 5% of its stock to a new 'public benefit' fund and may give large donations to traditional nonprofits or to specific populations

Anthropic said Sunday it will set aside 5% of its shares for a new public-benefit fund inside the company, a move that gives the fund more room to grow if the stock keeps rising. The company says the point is flexibility, not just a bigger charitable check written once and forgotten.

The new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund could be used in a few different ways. In a blog post, the company said it may make large donations to traditional nonprofits or send money directly to specific populations. It used labor-market effects as one example, and said that while it has already committed $200 million to study the effects of artificial intelligence, “bolder approaches may be needed” given how fast AI is moving.

This sits on top of Anthropic’s existing structure as a public benefit corporation, a status chosen by for-profit companies that want to balance money-making with a social mission. CEO Dario Amodei and the company’s five other cofounders have also pledged to donate 80% of their wealth.

Anthropic said an equity donation match program already has about half of employees participating. Put together with Sunday’s announcement, the company says roughly 20% of its shares are now dedicated to the “public good,” with the potential for more if valuation milestones are hit. That’s a striking figure for a company also planning a massive initial public offering as soon as November.