- FTX receives approval from Delaware bankruptcy court to sell its 7.84% stake in AI firm Anthropic.
- FTX’s shares in Anthropic are valued at $1.4 billion.
- Despite opposition, the judge approved the proposal, acknowledging it as the appropriate time to sell the stake.
The defunct crypto exchange FTX has reportedly received approval from the Delaware bankruptcy court to sell its 7.84% stake in the AI startup Anthropic. According to estimations, the sale is expected to add around $1 billion to the company’s existing $6.4 billion cash.
Earlier this month, FTX filed a court motion seeking permission to sell its stake in the artificial intelligence firm. FTX’s former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, has invested $500 million in the company in April 2022. While Anthropic has raised funds valued at around $18 billion, the bankrupt crypto exchange’s stake is worth $1.4 billion.
FTX’s plans to sell its Anthropic stake is part of a larger scheme of customer fund reimbursement. In the February 3 filing, FTX wrote, “Given the increased interest in AI and large language models, there has been significant appreciation in the value of the Anthropic Shares since the Debtors’ acquisition and investment in Anthropic in 2021.”
Since the fall of FTX in November 2022, the exchange owes more than $3 billion to around one million customers. Focusing completely on returning their funds, FTX has sought several strategies, including asset sales.
Despite opposition from creditors, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Dorsey in Wilmington, Delaware, approved the proposal and acknowledged it as the “most optimal and appropriate time” to sell the stake. During the court hearing on Thursday, FTX lawyer Andy Dietderich stated,
We are selling the Anthropic shares, as we are selling everything, and putting the money in the bank.
FTX clients who opposed the proposal argued that the exchange did not own the AI firm’s shares. They added that the share was originally purchased using the funds amassed from the customers. However, they agreed with the proposal on demand that their shares will be repaid.
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