Investors brace for lower Anthropic valuation, calling $1.5 trillion a 'stretch'

Following tech's selloff on Wall Street this week, some investors are lowering their expectations for Anthropic. The artificial intelligence company had been looking toward a $2 trillion valuation in its IPO up until recently, but stakeholders told CNBC that even $1.5 trillion is now in doubt, with one investor calling that number a "stretch." The change in sentiment comes alongside growing concerns about the outsized spending by AI companies and a sharp post-midterm slump in the market. The Nasdaq plummeted more than 5% on Thursday, its steepest drop in 19 months, reflecting fears that Democrats' newfound power in Washington, D.C., and a nationwide rebuke of AI will lead to a slowdown in the buildout of data centers.