Do you work at Anthropic?
Get expert insights from financial advisors who specialize in helping Anthropic employees and executives make the most of their compensation package and benefits.
Looking for a financial advisor who specializes in working with Anthropic employees? You’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find advisors who understand Anthropic benefits and compensation, along with their answers to common financial questions from Anthropic employees and executives.
Whether you recently joined Anthropic or you’ve advanced into a management or executive leadership role over a multi-year career, making smart decisions about your income and Anthropic benefits can have a lasting impact on your financial future. For example:
✅ Do you know the right moves to get the greatest value from the Anthropic benefits available to you?
✅ If you’re thinking about leaving Anthropic for another job or planning to retire in a few years, are you taking the right steps today to receive all the compensation and benefits you’ve earned?
Key Takeaways
Equity Is the Most Valuable and Most Misunderstood Part of Anthropic Pay
For many Anthropic employees, equity compensation (including ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs) is the largest piece of their net worth, yet it’s often the least understood. A specialist advisor can help you work through vesting schedules, exercise windows, and the tax treatment that determines how much of that value you actually keep.
Concentrated Stock Is the Top Financial Risk for Anthropic Employees
When Anthropic equity makes up more than roughly 20% of your investable assets, a single adverse event at the company could erase a large share of your net worth. Calculating your concentration and building a diversification and tax plan around it is a common first step, and an especially timely one now that Anthropic has confidentially filed for an IPO.
Map Your Vesting and Option Exercise Windows Before You Leave Anthropic
If you’re weighing a job change, understand exactly how much unvested equity you’d forfeit and how long you have to exercise vested ISOs or NSOs after you depart. The same analysis can help you quantify what you’d be walking away from and negotiate a stronger offer with a new employer.
Why Anthropic Employees Work with a Specialist Financial Advisor
Throughout the year, Anthropic provides its employees and executives with updates about their benefits, ranging from health insurance and health savings accounts to retirement savings like a 401(k), along with equity compensation such as stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs). While the company offers many useful resources and access to knowledgeable staff who can assist with questions, you’ll also find financial professionals not affiliated with Anthropic who specialize in helping Anthropic employees make the most of their income and benefits.
Whether you work at Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters, an office in Seattle, New York, or Washington, D.C., one of its international locations, or remotely from home, you may have questions about your compensation package and benefits better suited for a financial professional who can offer unbiased advice and guidance.
Sensitive topics, like the steps you should take before quitting your job at Anthropic to work elsewhere, protecting yourself in advance of a corporate layoff, or deciding when you should plan to retire, are all conversations that may be more comfortable with a trusted financial advisor.
Should You Hire an Anthropic Specialist or a Local Financial Advisor?
You’ll likely find dozens of nearby financial advisors well-suited to help you reach your money goals with a personalized plan. But it can be harder to find a financial advisor who specializes in serving Anthropic employees. Fortunately, many financial advisors offer virtual services, so you can meet online no matter where you (or they) live, which means you can hire a specialist financial advisor who lives hundreds of miles away if their knowledge and experience working with Anthropic employees is the better fit for your unique needs.
💡 In the Q&A below, you’ll gain insights from financial advisors who work with Anthropic employees to help them make smart decisions, get the most value from their compensation and benefits, reduce their money stress, and prepare for a comfortable retirement.
🙋♀️ Have a question not yet answered? Use the form below to submit it anonymously and watch this article for updates with answers to your questions. You can also reach out to the financial advisors below to set up an introductory call or contact them with your questions by email.
Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for Anthropic Employees & Executives
In this section, you’ll learn how you can make the most of your Anthropic employee benefits and gain valuable tips from financial advisors who specialize in working with Anthropic employees and executives.
Jump to a Financial Advisor for Anthropic Employees
Financial Advisor Q&A · Anthropic Employees
Jackie Lewis, CFP®, MBA
Wealth With Options · San Diego, CA · Serves clients nationwide
Helping clients build wealth with equity compensationJackie Lewis is a financial advisor based in San Diego, California who specializes in offering financial planning services to Anthropic employees. Jackie helps her clients get the most value from their Anthropic benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.
QAs a financial advisor with experience helping Anthropic employees save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?
Anthropic has some great benefits and we make sure that you are taking advantage of all that they offer. This includes helping you with equity compensation, retirement account, health insurance and family benefits within their overall corporate benefits package.
QWhen you first speak with an Anthropic employee, what questions do you like to ask to better understand their unique circumstances and determine how you can best help them achieve their goals?
Anthropic provides robust equity compensation packages so we help you to strategize around the best way to tax efficiently liquidate your RSUs based on your unique situation and needs. This leads to questions such as What are your goals in life? How long do you hope to stay with Anthropic? What would you like to do for your family? How well do you feel you understand your equity compensation? Do you have an idea of what taxes you will owe with your total compensation package?
QIs there a particular benefit available to Anthropic employees you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?
We help you to understand your equity compensation and put together a strategic plan to find the most tax efficient way to liquidate this compensation so that you can use this to fund your goals whether they be financial freedom, a home purchase, travel plans, etc.
QBeyond Anthropic employee benefits for retirement savings, are there other types of benefits offered by the company that you find valuable to discuss with your clients?
Anthropic provides a significant portion of your compensation through their equity compensation so we guide you through how best to leverage them during an open window so that you pay the lowest tax possible and have a multi-year plan at your finger tips.
QFor Anthropic employees thinking about leaving the company to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?
If you’re thinking of leaving Anthropic, you should consider the impact on your equity compensation as you have a window to take advantage of them. In addition, any first-year bonus that may need to be repaid, and whether they are prepared with enough emergency savings if making a move to a smaller tech company.
Another consideration is health insurance. Health insurance will end at month-end of your employment. Knowing you have another job starting in a few weeks vs. a few days may leave you open to a medical emergency if coverage is not continuous. Finally, 401(k) employee contributions and HSA contributions are a sum game across employers. If you contribute the maximum to the Anthropic 401k and then move to a new employer, you will need to wait until the next year to start contributing to the new 401(k).
QFor Anthropic employees approaching retirement age, how do you recommend they prepare to make the transition from living off their salary to relying upon other sources of income?
Many of our tech professional clients look to make work optional around age 50 to age 55. This means a time of needing taxable investments and medical coverage. We work with our clients to understand COBRA and health exchange options years in advance, so we have a good year of emergency savings ready for the first big moment of this next phase in life. Then, it’s really about seeing how you can lean into your values and passions while keeping the finances in mind.
Some of our clients go on to create their own startups or decide on consulting or volunteer work, etc. ‘Retiring’ isn’t about sitting around. These different adventures may require cash needs to get going, so we make sure we understand what will be going out the door for this as well. We help them structure their cash flow needs so they can see how they are doing spending-wise compared to what we planned for.
QFor Anthropic employees who have managed their finances on their own to this point, what would you suggest they consider to help them decide if they should begin working with a financial advisor at this stage in their lives?
An advisor can help with short-term decision-making such as equity compensation decisions, tax advantaged guidance, etc. and also with bigger-picture thinking (i.e. creating a framework so you can see the direction all your hard work is taking you, and make sure your money behaviors are aligning with your life goals). A client is often already doing many of the right things and the value of the planning process is to put things in a broader framework to allow for proactive/intentional decisions to be made as well as being a sounding board and accountability coach for the client.
We encourage DIY investors to consider the cost of NOT getting a second opinion. Investment management is one thing, but retirement planning has incredible nuance to it that many people overlook such as:
- How will my investments be taxed? Can I minimize my lifetime taxation? Am I taking too much (or not enough) risk in the markets?
- What is my plan to turn my assets into income? What are the tax implications of doing that?
- Am I going to run out of money? How should I deal with Inflation? What about long-term care?
- Are my beneficiary designations up to date? Do I understand what’s going to happen to my assets when I pass?
- Do I need life insurance? Do I have enough or too much? Should I keep these old policies?
There are a number of different areas that a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) can provide incredible value to a recent retiree, even if they choose to continue to manage their own investments.
QWhat are some of the unique financial planning challenges you commonly see among your clients who are Anthropic employees and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
A good, high-paying job in tech can feel a bit like golden handcuffs sometimes and it can be hard to imagine walking away. But, if you want to prepare for an exit or a shift to a different industry, we can create a pathway to ease the transition. In a role with equity compensation, a challenge can be to define how much to rely on that compensation in the plan. It’s variable and can be hard to quantify, but can be significant. So, having a firm structure based on a client’s comfort with the exposure and how it’s treated in the plan is important.
QWhat questions do you recommend Anthropic employees ask financial advisors they’re considering hiring to help them decide if they’re a good fit?
Are you a fiduciary? Do you have to act in my best interest? Will you be providing comprehensive financial planning or just investment management? What will I pay in fees? Are there any hidden fees in the products you’re recommending?
Considering a financial advisor who specializes in working with Anthropic employees?
Investment advisory services are offered through Mariner Platform Solutions (“MPS”), an SEC registered investment adviser. Wealth With Options is a separate business entity used for marketing purposes. The separate business entity is not owned, controlled by, or affiliated with MPS and is not registered with the SEC. For additional information about MPS, including fees and services, please contact MPS or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov). Please read the disclosure statement carefully before you invest.
Financial Advisor Q&A · Anthropic Employees
Tom Lo, CFP®, MBA
Vested Financial Planning · San Carlos, CA · Serves clients nationwide
Financial planning for tech professionals with equity · Fee-only fiduciaryTom Lo is a financial advisor based in San Carlos, CA who specializes in offering financial planning services to Anthropic employees. Tom helps clients get the most value from their Anthropic benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.
QAs a financial advisor with experience helping Anthropic employees save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?
For Anthropic employees who want to get to financial independence, I help you make the most of your employee equity including ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs. I help you diversify risk, minimize taxes, and make the most of your Anthropic equity so you can achieve financial independence.
QWhen you first speak with an Anthropic employee, what questions do you like to ask to better understand their unique circumstances and determine how you can best help them achieve their goals?
What are your big life goals? When do you want to get to financial independence? What financial goals do you have for yourself and your partner e.g., buy house? What financial goals do you have for your children e.g. pay for college? What financial goals do you have for your lifestyle e.g., travel? What vested and unvested Anthropic equity do you have?
QIs there a particular benefit available to Anthropic employees you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?
Anthropic employees don’t understand your Anthropic equity including ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs as well as it should be because this is by far your most important employee benefit. I can help you understand how to diversify risk, minimize taxes, and use your Anthropic equity to reach your goals including financial independence.
QBeyond Anthropic employee benefits for retirement savings, are there other types of benefits offered by the company that you find valuable to discuss with your clients (e.g. stock, education savings, health savings)?
I find it valuable to discuss your Anthropic equity including ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs to help you so you can diversify risk, minimize taxes, and maximize the value to achieve your other financial goals.
QFor Anthropic employees thinking about leaving the company to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?
For Anthropic employees thinking about leaving Anthropic, I can help you negotiate your compensation package with your new employer by quantifying the financial value of your Anthropic equity that you’re leaving on the table. I can help you understand the details of your vesting schedule including timing so you can maximize the vesting of your equity. I can help you understand how long you have to exercise ISOs and/or NSOs that you have vested but not exercised yet after you leave Anthropic and the exercise cost and taxes if you do that.
QFor Anthropic employees approaching retirement age, how do you recommend they prepare to make the transition from living off their salary to relying upon other sources of income?
I help Anthropic employees approaching financial independence understand how you can use your Anthropic equity and other assets to generate enough income to support your financial independence and with what type of lifestyle.
QFor Anthropic employees who have managed their finances on their own to this point, what would you suggest they consider to help them decide if they should begin working with a financial advisor at this stage in their lives?
For Anthropic employees who don’t have the time, energy, interest, or expertise to understand how to diversify risk, minimize taxes, and maximize value of your Anthropic equity including ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs, you should consider working with a financial planner that specializes in working with tech professionals with equity. If a financial planner can help you get 10% more value out of your Anthropic equity that you would on your own, how much would that be worth?
QWhat are some of the unique financial planning challenges you commonly see among your clients who are Anthropic employees and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
The primary financial planning challenge among Anthropic employees is helping you understand how you can diversify risk, minimize taxes, and maximize the value of your Anthropic equity including ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs so that you can achieve your goals. I help you overcome these obstacles by helping you identify your goals and using selling and tax strategies to maximize the value of your Anthropic equity to help you reach your goals.
QWhat questions do you recommend Anthropic employees ask financial advisors they’re considering hiring to help them decide if they’re a good fit?
What percentage and number of your clients are tech professionals with equity? How many clients in total do you work with? Are you fee-only which means the client is the only one who pays the advisor? Are you a fiduciary which means the advisor is legally obligated to work in the clients’ best interest? Are you independent which means the advisor isn’t connected to a bank or broker? Do you have the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation which is the highest standard for financial planners?
QIs there anything that comes up frequently in your initial meeting with Anthropic employees that surprises you?
Anthropic employees not understanding the importance of the concept of concentrated stock, holding too much of a single company stock, is what surprises me. Anthropic employees are typically taking a ton of risk because Anthropic equity makes up too much of your investable assets. The risk is that something happens to Anthropic and most of your net worth vanishes.
QFor highly compensated Anthropic employees and executives, are there any special benefits you believe it’s important to take into consideration when preparing their financial plan?
The primary benefit to take into consideration when preparing your financial plan for highly compensated Anthropic employees and executives is your Anthropic equity including ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs. I want to help you diversify risk, minimize taxes, and maximize value of your equity. For executives and select employees, I want to be aware if you are subject to corporate insider rules and if so, I would look at using a 10b5-1 plan when selling Anthropic equity.
QIs there a particularly memorable experience or a moment you recall with a client who worked at Anthropic when you realized they have unique opportunities and circumstances when it comes to their financial planning needs?
I met with an Anthropic employee to talk about working together and then met a second time about eight months later. In that relatively short time, the value of his Anthropic equity increased ~600%. The skyrocketing value helped me realize that Anthropic employees have a unique opportunity to use your Anthropic equity to reach your goals likely faster than any tech employees in history.
QWhat should Anthropic employee do first since Anthropic filed for an IPO?
Anthropic employees should first calculate how concentrated you are in your Anthropic equity. Take the value of your total vested Anthropic equity and divide by the total value of your investable assets including savings, investments, retirement, and 401ks to get your concentration. If you are more than 20% concentrated in Anthropic, you need to figure out a plan for your Anthropic equity because it makes up lots of your net worth.
Considering a financial advisor who specializes in working with Anthropic employees?
The information contained within this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for obtaining accounting, tax, or financial advice from a professional. Information provided in this article is not all inclusive and such information should not be relied upon as being all inclusive. In no way should this information be construed or interpreted to be advice for your specific situation. Before making any financial decision you should consider all factors and consult with a professional. This article provides general information only, and is not intended to provide personal investment advice and it does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person. In addition, investments in the stock market are subject to fluctuation, and that the price or value of any securities and investments may rise or fall and you may lose part or all of your investment. In addition, any information relating to the tax status of financial instruments discussed in this article is not intended to provide tax advice or to be used by anyone to provide tax advice. You are urged to seek tax advice based on your particular circumstances from an independent tax professional.
Financial Advisor Q&A · Anthropic Employees
Joe Forish, CFA, CFP®
Fortrove Partners · New York, NY · Serves clients nationwide
Specializes in Anthropic employee financial planning & equity compensationJoe Forish is a financial advisor based in New York, NY who specializes in offering financial planning services to Anthropic employees. Joe helps clients get the most value from their Anthropic benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.
QAs a financial advisor with experience helping Anthropic employees save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?
This includes making the most of retirement accounts and employer contributions, choosing appropriate investments, evaluating tax-advantaged savings. We coordinate these decisions with company stock ownership, cash flow, and other financial goals.
QWhen you first speak with an Anthropic employee, what questions do you like to ask to better understand their unique circumstances and determine how you can best help them achieve their goals?
QIs there a particular benefit available to Anthropic employees you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?
QBeyond Anthropic employee benefits for retirement savings, are there other types of benefits offered by the company that you find valuable to discuss with your clients (e.g. stock, education savings, health savings)?
Fortrove also looks at health savings accounts, education savings for employees with children. The key is to coordinate all the decisions together.
QFor Anthropic employees thinking about leaving the company to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?
QFor Anthropic employees approaching retirement age, how do you recommend they prepare to make the transition from living off their salary to relying upon other sources of income?
We map out the different sources of cash flow to support you in retirement, how much you can spend, and manage your taxes in an efficient manner over your lifetime.
QFor Anthropic employees who have managed their finances on their own to this point, what would you suggest they consider to help them decide if they should begin working with a financial advisor at this stage in their lives?
It can be helpful to ask yourself whether you have the time and expertise to evaluate financial decisions confidently. Perhaps there are blind spots you may not recognize. Would you benefit from having someone coordinate your financial life?
QWhat are some of the unique financial planning challenges you commonly see among your clients who are Anthropic employees and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
Some issues include deciding when to exercise stock options (ISOs and NSOs), managing AMT, RSU vesting, and planning for tender offers and an IPO.
Other planning opportunities include estate planning and DAF’s.
We help by modeling different scenarios and develop a clear framework to help Ants make the best decisions.
QWhat questions do you recommend Anthropic employees ask financial advisors they’re considering hiring to help them decide if they’re a good fit?
Some questions to ask are:
Do you work as a fiduciary all of the time?
How are you compensated?
How do you work with clients who have ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs?
What’s your approach for planning around tender offers and an IPO?
How do you coordinate with a client’s CPA and estate planning attorney?
Pay attention to whether the advisor takes the time to understand what you are trying to accomplish before they offer a recommendation.
QIs there anything that comes up frequently in your initial meeting with Anthropic employees that surprises you?
Sometimes it’s hard to understand how decisions around options, taxes, and investing fit into major life goals.
QFor highly compensated Anthropic employees and executives, are there any special benefits you believe it’s important to take into consideration when preparing their financial plan?
Strategies involving appreciated assets, donor-advised funds, trusts, or gifting can be very important pieces of a financial plan.
QIs there a particularly memorable experience or a moment you recall with a client who worked at Anthropic when you realized they have unique opportunities and circumstances when it comes to their financial planning needs?
Many large financial decisions have to be made before there is significant liquidity.
QAnthropic has raised billions in funding at rapidly increasing valuations — how should employees think about their illiquid equity today, and what planning moves make sense before any IPO or secondary liquidity event?
There can be important planning opportunities before a tender offer or IPO. We model out several potential outcomes to help make the best decisions.
QGiven Anthropic’s mission-driven culture and the existential nature of its AI safety work, how do you help employees balance the financial risk of holding concentrated pre-IPO equity against a deep personal commitment to staying at the company long-term?
QHow do you help Anthropic employees evaluate and make decisions around equity compensation, such as stock options or restricted stock units, in a high-growth AI startup where valuation and liquidity timelines can be uncertain?
Then we model different scenarios for ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs along with tax consequences and determine how much capital an employee is comfortable committing to an illiquid investment.
In a high-growth private company, there will always be things we cannot know with certainty. We aren’t trying to predict the timing of the IPO. We want to understand the tradeoffs, model a range of outcomes, and make thoughtful decisions while maintaining flexibility as circumstances change.
QHow do you advise Anthropic employees on balancing the financial risks of having a significant portion of their net worth tied to a single private company’s equity while still maximizing their overall compensation package?
This starts with understanding exactly what the employee owns, the tax consequences, and how the stock ownership fits in with the employee’s broader financial life. A decision that makes sense for someone with substantial liquid assets may look very different for someone preparing to buy a home and start a family.
Considering a financial advisor who specializes in working with Anthropic employees?
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal or investment advice. Equity plan terms vary by grant agreement. Please consult a qualified tax professional, tax attorney and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional before implementing any strategy discussed here. Advisory services offered through Fortrove Partners LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor.
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About the Author
Brian Thorp
Founder & CEO, Wealthtender · Editor-in-Chief
Brian Thorp is the founder and CEO of Wealthtender and serves as Editor-in-Chief. With over 25 years in the financial services industry — including nearly 22 years at Invesco, where he led strategic partnerships with wealth management firms representing more than $100 billion in assets — Brian founded Wealthtender to help people find financial advisors they can trust and make more informed money decisions.
A member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals and its SEC Marketing Rule Working Group, Brian was recognized by WealthManagement.com as one of its “Ten to Watch in 2024” for his work reshaping how financial advisors market their services. He holds a B.B.A. in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin.
Brian and his wife live in Austin, Texas.