Anthropic prepares for potential 2026 IPO as AI race with OpenAI intensifies

Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot, has hired Silicon Valley law firm Wilson Sonsini to prepare its corporate structure for a possible initial public offering as early as 2026, according to reporting based on Financial Times sources. The company is also negotiating a new funding round that could value it above $300 billion, underscoring how leading frontier‑model labs are racing not only on technology but also on access to capital as they compete with OpenAI for dominance in generative AI.