Anthropic sells FTX stake, but Saudi buyer excluded from consideration

Odaily News According to a report from CNBC citing anonymous sources, artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is looking for buyers to buy the shares of the company currently held by defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, but has ruled out selling to investors from Saudi Arabia. . As bankers line up to find a group of possible new backers for Anthropic, the company has decided not to accept Saudi funding, according to people familiar with the matter, the report said. One source told CNBC that Anthropic executives cited national Security reasons. Three years ago, FTX bought a stake in Anthropic for $500 million. An 8% stake in the high-profile AI startup is now worth more than $1 billion. FTX is selling shares in Anthropic as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, with proceeds from the sale going to help compensate customers who lost money after the cryptocurrency exchange went bankrupt. The transaction is ongoing and expected to close in the coming weeks, the report said.