Anthropic opens talks with NYC comptroller following calls to delay $2 trillion IPO

Anthropic has opened communication with New York City Comptroller Mark Levine following his request for the AI company to postpone its planned initial public offering over safety and governance concerns.

Speaking on Bloomberg Television on Friday, Levine confirmed that discussions had begun but declined to provide details about their nature.

“It does appear they are under pressure from multiple sides right now,” Levine said.

The development comes as Anthropic prepares for a potential November listing, with investors reportedly discussing valuations between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion.

NYC comptroller warns of AI safety risks

In a letter addressed to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Wednesday, Levine urged the company to delay its IPO until it adequately addresses concerns surrounding AI safety, governance, and increasingly autonomous systems.

Levine also questioned whether a recent voluntary safety agreement between the Trump administration and major AI companies, including Anthropic, provided sufficient safeguards.

“If they go public and then there is a catastrophic safety incident, beyond, far beyond what we’ve seen right now, that would be terrible for their stock,” Levine told Bloomberg.

The comptroller oversees New York City’s public pension funds, which manage more than $325 billion in assets. Some of these funds hold investments tracking major stock indexes, potentially increasing their exposure to Anthropic following its public debut.

Levine argued that postponing the listing would give Anthropic more time to establish a governance framework capable of addressing the risks identified by its own researchers.

Anthropic prepares for November IPO amid valuation concerns

The discussions come as Anthropic advances preparations for what could become one of the largest IPOs in history.

During a meeting with selected investors on Wednesday, the company disclosed that third quarter revenue reached $16.8 billion, representing a 45% increase from the previous quarter.

However, some prospective investors have reportedly discussed a valuation closer to $1.5 trillion, below earlier expectations of approximately $2 trillion, amid concerns about AI development costs.

Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has publicly acknowledged the dangers associated with increasingly capable AI systems. In an essay published last month, he called for greater cooperation between governments and AI developers to address risks including loss of control, economic disruption, cyberattacks, and terrorism.

Despite acknowledging concerns that postponing the IPO could create market uncertainty, Levine maintained that the potential consequences of a major safety incident after the listing warranted additional caution.

“I worry about going public and then having an incident,” he said.