Silicon Valley investors are aggressively competing for shares of Anthropic, the AI developer behind the Claude large language model, creating a chaotic secondary market despite the company remaining private. The frenzy intensified after a hint from a tech founder on X that he might sell his Anthropic stock, which triggered an immediate influx of desperate offers. Jesse Leimgruber, a recipient of these pitches, reported receiving hundreds of proposals ranging from wire-ready cash to unsolicited bank statements and offers of venture capital partnerships. The demand is driven by Anthropic's rapid revenue growth and the momentum of its AI coding assistant, Claude Code. Following a high-profile dispute with the Pentagon, investor confidence surged further. Leimgruber noted that every venture capital firm in Silicon Valley is racing to secure a position in Anthropic. Some proposals included offers to purchase stakes at valuations exceeding $1 trillion, with many buyers bypassing standard non-disclosure agreements due to the urgency of their requests. One venture capital firm even offered to appoint Leimgruber as a general partner solely in exchange for his shares, a move he rejected as transparently transactional. Tracking down available shares has become exceptionally difficult. Because Anthropic is not publicly traded, investors must rely on secondary markets where existing stock is sold by current or former employees. The scarcity of sellers has created a significant market imbalance. Financial experts report that few current holders are willing to part with their assets, leading to complex deals with high fees and intricate ownership structures. One banker reportedly offered his $4.8 million estate to attract early employees to sell a portion of their stock. Glen Anderson, CEO of Rainmaker Securities, highlighted the extreme disparity in the market, stating there is a critical shortage of legitimate sellers. This situation has left stock holders in a unique position of power. Bradley Horowitz, a general partner at Wisdom Ventures and an early investor, described the daily influx of offers as ranging from the absurd to the extraordinary, with buyers resorting to questionable tactics to acquire stakes. While most investors refuse to sell, some early holders are looking to cash out. Leimgruber, who obtained his stake through the FTX bankruptcy in 2024 when the company was valued at $18 billion, plans to sell a portion of his holdings. He acknowledged that his investment has gained over 5,400 percent in two years and that he did not predict such a valuation. Citing the need for diversification and limited perceived upside, he is willing to take his chips off the table despite the market frenzy. Anthropic has declined to comment on these secondary market activities. However, the company explicitly warns against unauthorized stock sales and scams on its official website. The current situation underscores the intense speculation surrounding AI startups and the logistical challenges investors face when trying to access shares of private companies experiencing unprecedented growth.