Anthropic investors are being swarmed by desperate buyers. Some are getting very creative. (www.businessinsider.com)

A frenzied demand for Anthropic shares has swept through Silicon Valley, leading to a "gold-rush mentality" among investors eager to capitalize on the company's rapid revenue growth and the rising popularity of its AI-powered coding assistant, Claude Code. With Anthropic yet to go public, the limited supply of stock has resulted in desperate offers from venture capitalists, including one case where a VC firm proposed hiring a tech founder as a partner in exchange for shares. Offers have poured in, ranging from cash deals within 48 hours to unsolicited proof-of-funds evidence, highlighting the intense competition for a stake in one of AI's most promising firms. This surge in interest underscores the significant implications for the AI and machine learning community, as it reflects both the booming valuation of AI technologies and the challenges in acquiring stakes in private companies before they are publicly traded. With shares soaring, many early investors are hesitant to sell, leading to a market imbalance that makes those with existing stock extremely valuable. The situation illustrates not only the competitive nature of AI investment but also the intricate dynamics at play in private equity markets, where unconventional offers and desperate measures are becoming the norm as investors scramble to secure their position in this burgeoning sector.