Anthropic hits $1.2 trillion valuation on secondary markets

Anthropic's implied valuation on secondary market platforms has surged to approximately $1.2 trillion, representing a 550% increase year-over-year as investors clamor for shares in the AI startup ahead of a potential initial public offering later this year.phemex+2

A Valuation That Surpasses OpenAI

The $1.2 trillion figure, first reported by Business Insider, places Anthropic above OpenAI's current valuation of roughly $908 billion. The leap comes just weeks after Anthropic closed a $65 billion funding round in late May that valued the company at $965 billion. Despite the frenzy, actual tradable liquidity remains thin — buy orders far outnumber sell orders, making completed transactions rare. Many trades are structured as special purpose vehicles, and Anthropic has posted warnings on its website against unauthorized stock resales and potential scams, advising would-be investors to "invest at your own risk".reuters+2

The company has not yet gone public, though it filed a confidential S-1 earlier this year and internal discussions have pointed to a possible listing in October 2026, with Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ↘ 0.36%, JPMorgan ↘ 0.84%, and Morgan Stanley ↘ 0.55% involved in preparations.valueaddvc+1

New York Expansion Signals Growth Ambitions

Anthropic is also expanding its physical presence. The company has finalized a lease for the entire 16-story, roughly 466,000-square-foot building at 330 Hudson Street in Manhattan's Hudson Square neighborhood, owned by AEW Capital Management. According to Crain's New York Business, estimated rent in the building runs between $67 and $82 per square foot.nypost+2

The New York Times reported that the deal is part of a broader AI boom reshaping commercial real estate in the city. Anthropic said it plans to grow its New York workforce to more than 1,000 employees by the end of 2026, roughly doubling from fewer than 500 at the start of the year.nytimes+1

The Road to an IPO

Anthropic's trajectory over the past 18 months has been extraordinary. Valued at $61.5 billion in March 2025 and $183 billion by September of that year, the company reached $965 billion on its most recent primary round before secondary-market enthusiasm pushed the implied price past $1 trillion. Whether that momentum can survive the scrutiny of public markets remains the central question as a potential October debut approaches.valueaddvc+1