U.S. sold Anthropic shares seized from former FTX executives in 2025

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U.S. sold Anthropic shares

$50 million investment could have turned into billions

Singh and Ellison invested in Anthropic during its Series B funding round in 2022. Singh purchased $40 million worth of shares, while Ellison invested $10 million. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried invested alongside them, putting $500 million into the company for a 13.56% stake at the time.

Following the bankruptcy of FTX, Bankman-Fried's stake, held through entities linked to Alameda Research, became part of the bankruptcy estate. In 2024, it was sold to dozens of buyers for approximately $1.3 billion—more than twice the original investment.

Ellison's and Singh's shares followed a different path because they were seized by the government. Depending on when they were sold in 2025, their combined value could have ranged from $250 million to $1.1 billion, according to estimates from experts interviewed by Business Insider.

Anthropic's valuation has since increased severalfold. At a company valuation of $965 billion, Ellison's and Singh's former stakes could now be worth approximately $2.6 billion to $5 billion. In the event of a potential IPO at a $2 trillion valuation, one expert estimated their value at around $5.44 billion.

Fate of proceeds from the sale remains unclear

Prosecutors previously said seized assets could be used to compensate victims of the FTX collapse. Given the potentially millions of victims, the court allowed the Department of Justice to distribute funds through a special remission process rather than the standard restitution mechanism.

However, as of the end of June 2026, proceeds from the Anthropic share sale did not appear to have reached the FTX bankruptcy estate, according to bankruptcy court records. The U.S. Marshals Service declined to disclose details of the transaction, while the Justice Department said information about the sale of forfeited assets and victim compensation is confidential.

In 2025, the FTX bankruptcy estate received $638 million from assets liquidated by the authorities, with nearly all of that amount linked to Robinhood shares previously owned by Bankman-Fried. Another approximately $400 million is expected from the government in the future from cryptocurrencies and other seized investments.

Creditor repayments, meanwhile, are continuing through the exchange's bankruptcy process. In July, the FTX Recovery Trust announced a fifth distribution round of approximately $900 million, which began on July 31, 2026.

The funds are being distributed to holders of different claim categories under the restructuring plan. Payments are being processed through BitGo, Kraken and Payoneer, with recipients generally expected to receive their funds within one to three business days.

Earlier, we reported that the U.S. Senate backed a resolution opposing clemency for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The former exchange chief is serving a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted of fraud and money laundering.

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