Sharing on X, Shkreli floated that Anthropic’s current trajectory could force an unfavorable Meta acquisition, though he caveated the statement as a “low conviction” prediction.

The commentary underscores mounting skepticism regarding Anthropic’s ability to sustain its independence in a cutthroat AI arms race.

Shkreli’s prediction amplified a warning from a tech commentator on X, who told Anthropic employees that leadership’s recent policy decisions are “titanic f***ups that pose serious risks to both your technical pole position and your bags.”

Users are increasingly frustrated over suspected “stealth nerfing” of Claude’s capabilities and a controversial update extending data retention to five years for model training.

The operational strain has grown complex. The Pentagon recently slapped Anthropic with a supply chain risk designation, temporarily blocking new Defense Department contracts.

Additionally, leadership recently called for an industry-wide development pause, sparking debate over whether their strict safety boundaries are actively dampening their competitive edge.

Paradoxically, this turbulence collides with Anthropic’s monumental push to go public. On June 1, the company filed a confidential draft S-1 with the SEC, fresh off a $65 billion Series H round that valued the startup at a staggering $965 billion.

The company will have to publicly justify its previously shielded margins and cost structures. Furthermore, it is stepping into an overwhelmingly crowded 2026 IPO window, forced to compete directly for institutional capital against massive upcoming listings from OpenAI and SpaceX.

If public investors balk at the nearly trillion-dollar price tag, Shkreli’s discounted acquisition scenario could quickly become a reality.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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