A debate titled "What should we do with all this money?" was held Thursday evening at the American Bookbinders Museum in San Francisco. The event gathered about a hundred guests, including employees from Anthropic and the OpenAI Foundation.

Anthropic and OpenAI are preparing initial public offerings that could create a new class of billionaires and multimillionaires. Anthropic is valued at $965 billion, and OpenAI is seeking a $1 trillion valuation. The potential wealth could make the seven co‑founders of Anthropic billionaires and hundreds of employees deca‑millionaires or multimillionaires, according to an analysis by Hill.com.

Anthropic’s co‑founders have pledged to donate 80 % of their wealth, estimated at $17 billion each, and staff have enrolled in a matching donation program. The OpenAI Foundation holds a 26 % stake in OpenAI, valued at more than $180 billion. The philanthropic approach aligns with the effective altruism movement, which emphasizes maximizing good and includes concerns about AI safety and existential risk.

Alexander Berger, chief executive of Coefficient Giving, said the group’s focus on AI concerns differentiates it from the size of the donations. He noted that AI companies have distinct visions for the future and that donors interested in AI safety and AI for good should expect significant giving.

The effective altruism community is expanding its infrastructure for donors. Job listings on the effective altruism website rose from 200 in January to 1,000, and AI governance nonprofits are advertising salaries up to $260,000 for communications and $205,000 for U.S. policy roles. A for‑profit incubator called Surplus encourages people to start companies to capture funding from Anthropic and OpenAI employees, citing a $100 billion market opportunity.

Rob Reich, a Stanford philosopher, argued that large philanthropy concentrates private power and warrants public scrutiny. He suggested donors support existing institutions rather than create new ones, noting that gratitude should not be expected from large giving.