Daniela Amodei, co-founder of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, has opened up about the challenging decision to depart from OpenAI in late 2020, calling it a “crazy thing to do.” Speaking at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, as reported by Benzinga, Amodei described the uncertainty she and her brother Dario Amodei faced while weighing whether to remain at OpenAI or venture out on their own.
The turning point came during a conversation with a trusted mentor, who told her: “Honestly, I don’t think you really need to be on the phone with me. You already know what the right answer is.” This simple statement helped reframe her thinking. “When you’re in a moment of, ‘Is this the right thing for my life?’ often you actually know what the right answer is,” she explained. The advice helped her trust her own judgment and ultimately leave OpenAI to co-found Anthropic.
From Literature Graduate to Tech Leader
Before entering the AI field, Amodei studied English literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She then joined fintech unicorn Stripe in 2013 as a founding recruiter. After completing her studies, she spent about three years at rival company OpenAI, rising to the position of vice president. According to Forbes, her net worth is estimated at around $7 billion, reflecting Anthropic’s rapid ascent.
Anthropic’s Rapid Growth
Founded in 2021, Anthropic has quickly become a major competitor to OpenAI. Recently, Anthropic became the world’s most valuable AI startup, overtaking OpenAI after a blockbuster $65 billion Series H financing round that pushed its valuation to $965 billion. This surpassed OpenAI’s $852 billion valuation. According to a CNBC report, the latest funding round was led by Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, Greenoaks, and Sequoia Capital, nearly tripling Anthropic’s valuation from $380 billion in February. The financing also included $15 billion of previously committed investments, including $5 billion from Amazon.
Anthropic also reported a $47 billion revenue run rate, up from $30 billion earlier this year and $10 billion in 2025. Most of this growth is driven by its popular AI coding assistant, Claude Code, which has become a staple tool for many enterprises.
Daniela Amodei’s ‘Trick’ for Entrepreneurs Seeking Co-Founders
Recently, Anthropic co-founder Daniela Amodei shared a simple suggestion for entrepreneurs looking for the right business partner. She believes taking a vacation together before starting a company can help identify the most suitable partners. Speaking at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Amodei said spending extended time together outside work can reveal whether a partnership is likely to survive the pressures of building a startup.
According to a Fortune report, Amodei said: “Instead of starting a company together, go on vacation together. Share a room with them. Be like, ‘How did that go?’ And if you’re like, ‘Man, all I wanna do is spend more time with you,’ great. If you’re like, ‘Really, I’m gonna need a vacation to recover from my vacation,’ it might be the wrong choice.”
