Anthropic IPO: What Indian-origin CFO Krishna Rao and the Amodei siblings earn

Chief Financial Officer Krishna Rao, meanwhile, received $720,250. What we can understand is at Anthropic, big salaries are only part of the picture. Stock options, share awards and executive perks make up a substantial share of the packages, with the value of those awards tied to the company's fortunes. Anthropic filed S-1, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on October 26, 2026, for an initial public offering of Class A common stock.

It has applied to list on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "ANT". The share count and price range are yet to be disclosed in the filing. Here is what the prospectus reveals about how much its top executives earned, what they received beyond their salaries and how their compensation has changed in 2026. Anthropic files for IPO (Src-Reuters) 96 million package The bulk of the money did not come from his annual salary.

His total compensation in 2025 stood at $17.96 million, which consists of $654,167 in salary, $9.26 million in restricted stock units (RSUs), $4.03 million in stock options and $4.01 million in other compensation. His base salary rose from $600,000 to $700,000 on June 15, 2025. He also received 1,717,000 RSUs on June 12 and 992,500 stock options at an exercise price of $2.38 each. The options vested monthly through 2025.

The stock awards, however, come with strings attached. The RSUs vest over time, with one-twelfth scheduled to vest on February 20, 2026, followed by quarterly vesting. The IPO registration statement must also become effective for the awards to vest. Then there are the additional benefits. The prospectus lists $2.75 million for Amodei's personal security and $97,055 for private flights. Anthropic says a security study supported these expenses.

His other compensation also includes $1.15 million from a June 2025 share buyback, a $14,000 contribution to his 401(k) retirement plan and $625 for a valuation report. Daniela Amodei: $16.41 million, with a few differences President Daniela Amodei's compensation package is almost like her brother's. She received $16.41 million in 2025, with the same salary, RSU and stock option values as Dario. 3 billion revenue and $80.7 billion net loss Her other compensation amounted to $2.46 million, including $1.29 million for protection, home security and transport.

However, she did not receive the private flight benefit. Her package also included $1.15 million from the share buyback and a$14,000 retirement plan contribution. The stock awards could be worth much more During 2025, 5058340 shares vested for each of the Amodeis, valued at $12 million. At the end of the year, each still held 1,717,000 unvested RSUs, valued at around $30.3 million using a share price of $17.66.

This is more than seven times the $2.38 exercise price of the stock options granted in June 2025. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (Credit-X) CFO Krishna Rao earned $720,250 Krishna Rao's compensation was much lower than that of the Amodeis. The chief financial officer received $720,250 in 2025, including $706,250 in salary and a $14,000 retirement plan contribution. His salary increased from $700,000 to $850,000 on December 16.

Unlike the two co-founders, Rao received no new equity awards in 2025. His main stock-based award came from a hiring grant in 2024, when he received 14 million options at an exercise price of $1.30 per share. A quarter of the options vested after one year, with the rest scheduled to vest monthly over the following three years. At the end of 2025, 5,756,350 options were exercisable and 8,166,670 were not yet exercisable.

Rao exercised 76,980 options during the year, realising $385,285. Salaries jump in 2026 The compensation packages have grown further this year. Each of the Amodeis now earns an annual salary of $1.38 million, up from $915,000 in January 2026. Rao's salary has risen to $1.25 million. The board also approved fresh equity awards in February. Each Amodei received 1,431,490 stock options and 2,374,010 RSUs.

Rao received 1,122,840 options and 1,862,140 RSUs. The options carry an exercise price of $17.66 per share. Daniela operates as the foundational architect of the business at Anthropic (Image courtesy: X) In July, each Amodei received another 537,430 RSUs. These awards also carry the condition linked to the IPO registration statement. The prospectus records another sizeable expense in October, when the company paid $2.5 million in antitrust filing fees for each Amodei.

These Hart-Scott-Rodino fees were linked to their holdings in the company. Rao also began receiving security services in 2026. What happens if they leave? The filing also spells out the financial protection available to the executives if their employment ends. Before 2026, only Rao had severance protection. In October, all three executives signed new Executive Severance Agreements. If the company dismisses them without cause or they resign for good reason, each Amodei is entitled to 24 months of salary, Rao is entitled to 12 months.

They are also eligible for 12 months of health coverage payments and an additional 12 months of vesting on time-based equity awards. Rao retains a separate provision that gives further protection during a change of control. If he is dismissed around such a transaction, his unvested equity can vest in full. The same applies if a deal would cancel his awards without compensation. The prospectus estimates that the value of this protection stood at $134 million at the end of 2025, using the $17.66 share price.

The rules around executive pay Anthropic has also given a series of restrictions and safeguards. The company does not offer tax gross-ups, fixed-term employment contracts or discounted stock options. Only Rao has the additional change-of-control severance provision. A clawback policy allows the company to recover compensation following a financial restatement. Executives are prohibited from hedging or pledging company shares, and trading is restricted to designated quarterly windows.

After the IPO, a compensation committee will oversee executive pay, with Semler Brossy serving as its consultant. The prospectus also details a new compensation policy for outside directors. In 2025, Jay Kreps was the only director listed as receiving compensation, at $200,000 in cash. Under the new policy, outside directors will receive $100,000 annually, along with committee fees and $325,000 in annual RSU awards.

Employees get a stake, too Anthropic is preparing a new equity incentive plan and an employee stock purchase plan ahead of its listing. The equity plan allows additional shares to be made available each year from 2027 to 2036, subject to a limit of 5% of outstanding stock. Under the employee stock purchase plan, staff can contribute up to 15% of their pay towards buying company shares at a 15% discount.

The Amodeis' multimillion-dollar packages are built largely around equity rather than salaries alone. As Anthropic moves towards a public listing, the value of those awards will depend on the conditions attached to them and how the company's shares perform. Disclaimer: This article provides factual analysis only and is not, and should not be construed as, an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Investors must conduct their own independent due diligence and seek advice from a registered financial advisor in the respective jurisdiction.