US Government Missed Out on Billions in Anthropic Stock Sale

The forfeited shares, totaling 4,453,900 Series B units, were initially acquired by Singh and Ellison for $50 million during a 2022 fundraising round. By the time the US Marshals Service Complex Assets Unit offloaded the stake in late 2025, the price had risen to roughly $140.97 per share. However, with Anthropic currently eyeing a $1.5 trillion valuation ahead of its upcoming IPO, those same shares would have commanded a price six times higher than the government’s realized gain.

Anthropic repurchased the stock from federal authorities at the $627 million price point and subsequently redistributed the equity to nine undisclosed investors. This transaction stands in contrast to the $500 million in Anthropic shares held by Sam Bankman-Fried, which were managed through the FTX bankruptcy estate and sold for $1.3 billion in 2024 to compensate defrauded customers. As of mid-year, the Department of Justice had not transferred the $627 million in proceeds to the FTX estate, leaving the ultimate destination of the funds—and the possibility of a victims' compensation program—unclear.