Who is Eric Schmidt? His education, career journey from Google CEO to Anthropic AI investor

According to reports, Schmidt could be one of the people who benefit greatly if Anthropic goes public. However, how much money he actually makes will depend on the company's market value, how many shares he still owns, and the rules of the initial public offering (IPO).

Neither Schmidt nor Anthropic has officially confirmed the reported 1% ownership figure.

Schmidt's long career in technology and his education may have helped shape his interest in AI. He has worked in the industry for many years and has seen how quickly it changes. This experience may have helped him recognize AI as an early investment opportunity.

Eric Schmidt is an American technology executive, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known for leading Google during a major period of growth.

He was Google's chief executive officer (CEO) from 2001 to 2011. He later served as executive chairman of Google and its parent company, Alphabet. He stepped down from his executive chairman role in 2018. According to his official biography, Schmidt has three degrees in engineering and computer science.

His educational qualifications include:

Schmidt first studied architecture at Princeton before changing his subject to electrical engineering.

While studying at the university, he became very interested in computers and took computer-related courses offered by its engineering school.

After finishing his studies, he worked at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center. He then joined Sun Microsystems, where he held several technical and management roles. Later, he became chairman and CEO of software company Novell before joining Google in 2001.

Under Schmidt's leadership, Google expanded its business and strengthened its position as a major technology company. His experience managing large technology businesses helped make him an influential figure in Silicon Valley.

Reports say Schmidt invested tens of millions of dollars in Anthropic during its Series A funding round in 2021. He is reported to own 1% of the company. He invested when Anthropic was still an AI startup, before interest in generative AI tools grew sharply in recent years.

At the time of Schmidt's investment, Anthropic was reportedly valued at about $461 million. The company has since become one of the businesses developing advanced AI systems. Its products include Claude, a family of AI assistants that can help with tasks such as writing, research, analysis, and software development.

The company has attracted investors such as Google and Amazon. Both companies have also helped support its computing systems and AI development.

Schmidt's reported investment is important because he backed the company when its future growth was still uncertain. However, the exact amount he invested and whether he has sold any shares are not known.

Anthropic's possible IPO has attracted investors' attention because the company has grown and its estimated value has increased. On October 19, 2026, Reuters reported that investors had discussed a valuation of $1.5 trillion, although earlier estimates had reached as high as $2 trillion.

These figures come from discussions and are not confirmed IPO prices.

If Schmidt still owns the reported 1% stake, its value would depend on how much the company is worth.

The table shows possible company valuations and the theoretical value of a 1% stake. These are examples, not confirmed valuations of Schmidt's shares. They also do not include the effects of ownership dilution, taxes, restrictions on selling shares, or changes in how much of the company he owns.

These figures help explain why early investments in successful AI companies have attracted growing interest. Investors who support promising startups before they become large businesses can earn substantial returns if those companies increase in value.

However, a company's valuation does not mean an investor can immediately turn an equal amount of money into cash.

Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, including CEO Dario Amodei and president Daniela Amodei.

Anthropic develops AI systems that can perform different tasks, with a focus on business use, coding, and complex reasoning.

Anthropic's Claude models and Claude Code tools have become popular with businesses and software developers. More companies are now using AI to automate tasks, help employees, and improve productivity.

In February 2026, Reuters reported that Anthropic raised $30 billion in a funding round, giving the company a valuation of $380 billion.

As demand for Anthropic's AI products grew, more investors became interested in the company.

Anthropic's progress has also increased competition in the AI industry, especially with OpenAI and other companies that develop AI models. A possible IPO could allow ordinary investors to buy Anthropic shares on the stock market. However, the final share price and the timing of any public listing could change.

Schmidt's reported stake shows how experienced technology leaders are investing in the growing AI market.

His career has followed major changes in computing, from business software to the growth of internet services and, more recently, artificial intelligence.

His early investment in Anthropic also shows the possible benefits of supporting technology companies before they become widely known. However, investing in startups can be risky, and not every new company becomes a market leader.

For now, the reported 1% stake makes Schmidt one of the individual investors linked to Anthropic. If the company goes public at a high valuation, his investment could become much more valuable.

The final outcome will depend on Anthropic's business performance, the details of its public offering, and how much of the company Schmidt still owns.