Anthropic investors are being swarmed by desperate buyers. Some are getting very creative.

In a stunning display of demand, tech entrepreneur Jesse Leimgruber recently sparked a frenzy among investors after hinting on X about the potential sale of his Anthropic shares. The moment he dropped the hint, offers poured in from everywhere—ranging from immediate cash transfers to enticing venture capital partnerships. Investors are clamoring to acquire a stake in one of the most promising companies in the AI sector, driven by impressive revenue growth and the buzz surrounding its AI coding assistant, Claude Code. The excitement surrounding Anthropic has intensified, particularly following a contentious period with the Pentagon, which further fueled investor interest. "The demand is off the charts," Leimgruber stated during a phone conversation, emphasizing the competitive climate among venture capitalists in Silicon Valley eager to include Anthropic in their portfolios. Offers varied wildly, with some investors ready to send millions in cash within 48 hours, while others showcased their financial capabilities through unsolicited screenshots of bank accounts and proof-of-funds letters. A number of prestigious growth equity funds also approached him with offers that valued Anthropic at over $1 trillion. Leimgruber noted, "It's kind of crazy," referring to the aggressive nature of these proposals, including one particularly unusual offer from a major VC firm that suggested making him a general partner in exchange for his shares—a deal he declined, suspecting their intentions were solely to obtain his Anthropic stake. As shares of Anthropic are not publicly traded yet, securing them has become a significant challenge. One enterprising banker even proposed selling his $4.8 million estate in Marin County to entice early employees to sell a portion of their stock. The majority of transactions occur in secondary markets, where current or former employees and early investors sell their shares, but with prices skyrocketing, many are hesitant to part with them, leading to complex ownership structures and high transaction fees. Glen Anderson, CEO of Rainmaker Securities, highlighted the market imbalance, stating, "The problem is there are no sellers." This scarcity makes those fortunate enough to hold shares highly sought after. Bradley Horowitz, a general partner at Wisdom Ventures, noted the bizarre range of offers they receive, describing some as "ridiculous" and others as "sublime." While Horowitz is not considering selling his shares, Leimgruber, who founded the AI hardware company OpenHome, is contemplating offloading his investment. He originally acquired his shares during the FTX bankruptcy in 2024, when Anthropic was valued at $18 billion, expressing that he never anticipated such a dramatic increase in value. With a staggering 5,400% gain over the last two years, he believes diversifying his investments is a prudent move, stating, "Some diversification seems prudent."