Salesforce Eyes Anthropic Stake Sale to Fund $25B Share Buyback

Key Facts

1Marc Benioff stated that Salesforce's stake in Anthropic could be worth tens of billions of dollars.

2The company plans to use potential sale proceeds to repay debt incurred from a $25 billion share buyback program.

Amid soaring valuations for artificial intelligence startups, Salesforce is exploring a strategic shift to optimize its balance sheet by exiting key tech investments. According to reports, CEO Marc Benioff stated that the company's stake in Anthropic could be worth tens of billions of dollars. The firm plans to utilize potential sale proceeds to repay debt incurred from its substantial $25 billion share buyback program.

This move highlights the ongoing effort by major software firms to balance aggressive AI investment with shareholder returns. Benioff's comments suggest that Salesforce aims to capitalize on Anthropic's rapid valuation growth to generate immediate liquidity. Per market data, investors are closely monitoring how this potential monetization might impact the company's long-term competitive standing in the cloud and AI sectors.

Regarding price action, CRM closed at $250.54 (close September 16, 2026), having traded between a low of $249.6 and a high of $256.4 during that session. With no immediate sector-specific catalysts in the upcoming economic calendar, market attention will remain focused on official confirmations regarding the stake sale or updates on the buyback execution.