Anthropic has appointed Chris Liddell, a former executive at Microsoft and General Motors, to its board of directors, as the AI startup signals plans for a potential initial public offering. Liddell brings experience guiding large companies through public listings, including leading GM’s $23 billion IPO in 2010 following the automaker’s emergence from bankruptcy.
During his tenure as GM’s chief financial officer, Liddell oversaw significant finance department restructuring. He later resigned after 14 months amid reported executive conflicts. Liddell also previously served as deputy chief of staff for policy coordination during President Trump’s first term.
“Anthropic’s approach—building AI that’s both capable and responsible—is critical for our future,” Liddell said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.
Funding Round Supports Growth and IPO Ambitions
The appointment coincides with Anthropic’s announcement that it closed a $30 billion financing round, valuing the company at $380 billion. The investment underscores strong investor demand for the Claude chatbot and the broader enterprise AI market. Co-founder and President Daniela Amodei highlighted Liddell’s experience “at the intersection of technology, public service, and governance” as valuable for the company during this critical growth phase.
Liddell joins a board that includes Anthropic co-founders Daniela and Dario Amodei, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, Spark Capital general partner Yasmin Razavi, and Confluent co-founder and CEO Jay Kreps.
Preparing for Potential 2026 IPO
Anthropic has indicated to financial partners that it may pursue a public listing by the end of 2026. The addition of Liddell, with prior IPO experience, suggests the company is actively preparing its corporate governance and financial structure for public-market scrutiny. Meanwhile, OpenAI also lays the groundwork for a major initial public offering, potentially valuing the company at up to $1 trillion, signaling heightened competition among AI leaders for both enterprise adoption and investor attention.