Former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke Appointed to Anthropic AI Oversight Body

TLDR

• Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke has been appointed to Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust
• The trust is an independent governance body that advises Anthropic and appoints its board members
• Bernanke won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2022 for his research on the Great Depression
• Trust members hold no equity in Anthropic and are paid only for their time
• Anthropic is valued at $965 billion and is preparing for a possible IPO this year

Ben Bernanke, the former chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, has joined Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust. The AI company announced the appointment on Thursday, July 9.

The Long-Term Benefit Trust is Anthropic’s independent governance structure. It advises the company and has the power to appoint and remove a majority of its board members.

Bernanke served as Fed chair from 2006 to 2014. He took over from Alan Greenspan and led the central bank through the 2008 financial crisis, a period marked by zero interest rates and quantitative easing.

After leaving the Fed, he held roles at the Brookings Institution, Citadel, and Pimco. In 2022, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for his research into the causes of the Great Depression.

“The potential of artificial intelligence is enormous, and so is the range of outcomes,” Bernanke said in a statement. “How that potential plays out will depend, in part, on the institutions we build around it.”

What the Trust Does

The Long-Term Benefit Trust operates independently of Anthropic’s management and investors. Its members are chosen for their expertise across different fields.

Importantly, members hold no equity in Anthropic. They are paid solely for their time and service. New members are selected by existing trustees in consultation with the company.

Bernanke is the fourth member of the trust. He joins Neil Buddy Shah, CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Richard Fontaine, a national security expert, and Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, an international affairs expert appointed in January 2026.

About Anthropic

Anthropic was founded in 2021 by researchers and executives who left OpenAI. The company operates as a public benefit corporation, meaning it aims to balance commercial goals with broader social benefit.

The company is currently valued at $965 billion. It is preparing for a potential IPO that could happen as early as this year.

In his new role, Bernanke is expected to help Anthropic understand how artificial intelligence is reshaping the economy. His background in financial systems and crisis management is seen as relevant to that work.

The appointment adds a high-profile economic voice to a trust already focused on long-term safety and governance of AI development.

Anthropic continues to expand its oversight structure as it grows toward a potential public offering later this year.

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