Anthropic CEO may follow Zuckerberg and Musk in seeking super-voting shares

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei could receive super-voting shares ahead of the AI company's potential IPO, gaining greater control even though his and other co-founders' ownership stakes are relatively small.

Anthropic reportedly preparing super-voting shares ahead of IPO

According to Reuters on Tuesday, Anthropic is preparing to grant special-class shares with enhanced voting rights to Amodei and other co-founders.

The arrangement would help Anthropic's leadership fend off pressure from external shareholders as the Claude maker approaches a potential public listing.

Amodei reportedly owns only about 2% of Anthropic, making the dual-class structure particularly important. Specific terms of the voting arrangement have not been disclosed, and the plan could still change.

Anthropic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Anthropic could echo Zuckerberg and Musk

Dual-class structures are common at founder-led tech companies, allowing executives to retain significant voting control even with a smaller economic stake.

At Meta Platforms, Inc., CEO Mark Zuckerberg holds about 60% voting control through super-voting shares.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp CEO Elon Musk also holds significant voting power through the company’s dual-class structure.

For Anthropic, such a structure could give Amodei and other founders greater influence over major corporate decisions and shield them from pressure driven by short-term shareholder demands.

Long-term interest trust could retain board power

Anthropic is also reportedly planning to preserve its existing group of non-shareholder trustees through a special class of stock that would let them elect a majority of the company's board.

The arrangement reflects Anthropic's unusual governance structure.

The company operates as a public-benefit corporation, meaning it is legally required to balance business interests with social and public interests.

The reported move also comes as Anthropic prepares for a potential IPO later this year that could rank among the largest initial public offerings ever. Anthropic filed a confidential draft Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 1, ahead of Sam Altman's OpenAI, which filed its own S-1 one week later.