Anthropic said on Monday it has confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering. The company, known for its Claude chatbot, is moving forward as it competes with an arch rival in the generative AI space to take the business public, potentially producing one of the largest initial public offerings on record.
The announcement comes in the run-up to an anticipated mega offering from SpaceX. The Elon Musk-led company is pursuing a valuation of $1.75 trillion and is aiming to raise $75 billion in the planned IPO. If SpaceX achieves that fundraising target, the deal would exceed the current record for the largest public offering, which remains Saudi Aramco's $25.6 billion listing in 2019.
Separate reports in May indicate that ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is also preparing a confidential filing for a U.S. initial public offering in the coming weeks. That potential filing places OpenAI alongside Anthropic as AI firms planning possible public market debuts.
Largest IPOs globally - ranked by deal size
| Company | Offer date | Sector | Deal size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Aramco | 12/05/19 | Energy | $25.6 billion |
| Alibaba | 09/18/14 | Technology | $21.8 billion |
| SoftBank Corp | 12/10/18 | Communication Services | $21.3 billion |
| NTT Mobile | 10/22/98 | Communication Services | $18.1 billion |
| Visa | 03/18/08 | Financials | $17.9 billion |
| AIA | 10/21/10 | Financials | $17.8 billion |
| ENEL SpA | 11/01/99 | Utilities | $16.5 billion |
| Meta | 05/17/12 | Technology | $16 billion |
| General Motors | 11/17/10 | Consumer Discretionary | $15.8 billion |
| ICBC - H | 10/20/06 | Financials | $13.96 billion |
These figures place Saudi Aramco at the top of the historical list, with several technology, financial and communications listings following closely behind. The recent filings and preparations by major AI companies, together with the prospect of a record-setting SpaceX IPO, highlight continued interest in large-scale public offerings across technology and energy sectors.
As companies move through confidential filing processes, market participants will monitor potential deal sizes and timing. The outcomes could reshape rankings for the biggest IPOs if the planned fundraises reach the levels currently discussed.