Key facts
- Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff stated that the company was unable to invest in OpenAI due to its relationship with Microsoft.
- Salesforce invested in OpenAI's rival, Anthropic, as a "plan B".
- Benioff believes the investment in Anthropic could generate tens of billions of dollars for Salesforce.
- Salesforce's Slackbot and other new interfaces are powered by Anthropic's AI model, Claude.
- Anthropic is preparing for a potential IPO, though the timing is uncertain.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff revealed that the company's decision to invest in AI firm Anthropic was a strategic pivot after being blocked from investing in OpenAI due to its close ties with Microsoft. Benioff expressed confidence that this investment could prove highly lucrative, potentially generating tens of billions of dollars for Salesforce.
Benioff explained on the Sources Podcast that he had a prior relationship with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and wished to invest in the company. However, due to Microsoft's significant stake and integration with OpenAI's technology, Salesforce was unable to proceed with an investment in OpenAI. This led Salesforce to pursue Anthropic instead.
He described the move as being "pushed so close with Anthropic," highlighting that it wasn't necessarily due to superior foresight but rather a response to circumstances. Salesforce's AI-powered tools, including its Slackbot, now utilize Anthropic's Claude model. The company has not disclosed its ownership stake in Anthropic, but the AI firm is reportedly preparing for a potential initial public offering, which could provide a public valuation for Salesforce's investment.