Anthropic’s potential $2 trillion IPO could turn staff into millionaires—but the AI firm is asking candidates what they’d do if stock fell to zero

As Anthropic targets a November IPO at a $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion valuation—potentially eclipsing SpaceX’s record—the blockbuster debut could mint a new class of wealthy tech workers among its more than 2,500 employees.

But that potential multimillion-dollar employee windfall appears to be raising concern among company leaders. Anthropic is reportedly asking job candidates during culture interviews how they would feel if the company someday abandoned its AI ambitions for safety reasons—and that decision caused its stock to fall to zero, according to Axios.

“I was honest and said no, I would not be happy if the stock went to 0,” one candidate, who discussed the interview process on the anonymous workplace site Blind, said. “I would want to align doing the most good and remaining ethical while building a sustaining business.”

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who has an estimated net worth of $13.6 billion, has reportedly expressed concerns about the way the company’s enormous financial incentives could affect its ability to retain employees who are genuinely committed to its mission. Anthropic, a public benefit corporation, has long sought to distinguish itself from competition like OpenAI through a broader focus on AI safety and the “long-term benefit of humanity.”

“At the end of the day, the mission is what we’re all........

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