Eric Schmidt's Anthropic Stake Could Generate Billions

08:00 PM EDT, 10/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt owns about 1% of Anthropic following an early investment in the artificial intelligence startup, positioning him for a potential multibillion-dollar gain ahead of its planned initial public offering, Bloomberg reported Monday. Schmidt invested tens of millions of dollars in Anthropic's Series A funding round in 2021, when the company was valued at $461 million, according to Bloomberg. The report said it remains unclear whether Schmidt has sold any of his stake. At Anthropic's latest reported valuation of $965 billion, the investment could add nearly $10 billion to Schmidt's existing fortune of $57.5 billion, according to Bloomberg's wealth index.