Overview
- Ben Bernanke joined Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust on Thursday, July 9, 2026, as the trust’s fourth trustee and will advise the company on how AI is reshaping the economy and society.
- The Long-Term Benefit Trust is a Delaware purpose trust created to hold a special 'Class T' share that is designed to let trustees elect an increasing share of Anthropic’s board, with the stated aim of reaching majority control within four years of the trust’s September 2023 formation.
- Trustees are independent of Anthropic’s management and investors, hold no company equity, and are paid only for their service, a structure meant to separate oversight from investor financial incentives.
- Bernanke joins trustees Neil Buddy Shah, Richard Fontaine and Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, adding macroeconomic and crisis-management experience to a roster focused on safety, policy and national-security expertise.
- Anthropic operates as a public benefit corporation, has raised capital from major backers and is preparing for a potential IPO, which would increase public and regulatory scrutiny of the trust’s governance role and its ability to influence company direction.