U.S. Government Sold Seized Anthropic Shares Linked to FTX Allies, Terms Remain Undisclosed

The U.S. government seized Anthropic shares held by former FTX executives Caroline Ellison and Nishad Singh and sold the stake to existing Anthropic investors in 2025, but the buyer, sale price, and government proceeds have not been disclosed. According to ChainCatcher, a court had previously ordered Ellison and Singh to forfeit the shares after they were tied to their investments in Anthropic's 2022 Series B round. The two had invested $10 million and $40 million, respectively, and their holdings rose sharply as Anthropic's valuation increased. UCLA professor Olav Sorenson estimated that, based on Anthropic's $96.5 billion valuation announced in May, the combined stake was worth about $4.17 billion to $5.03 billion, and could reach about $5.44 billion if the company later lists at a $2 trillion valuation. It remains unclear how much the U.S. government received from the sale. Estimates suggest the proceeds could have ranged from about $250 million to $1.1 billion depending on when the transaction occurred in 2025. As of the end of June 2026, the proceeds did not appear to have been transferred into the FTX bankruptcy estate. FTX victim representative Sunil Kavuri said the funds should be used to compensate victims. The U.S. Department of Justice said it prioritizes compensation from forfeited assets, but details on asset sales and fund distribution are confidential.