Running one of the world’s most closely watched AI companies comes with a new line item: bodyguards. Anthropic spent $2.7 million on personal security for CEO Dario Amodei last year.
The spending reflects a broader shift. Executives at the center of the AI boom are increasingly treated as public figures, and some of the attention they draw is hostile.
What Anthropic is paying for
The $2.7 million covered protection for Amodei personally. Anthropic was co-founded by Amodei and his sister, Daniela Amodei.
The expense did not arrive in a vacuum. Anthropic has dealt with alarming incidents tied to its staff and leadership.
One involved a threatening message that came through the company’s Claude AI model. In another, an intruder entered the company’s lobby and warned of potential violence against an executive.
Anthropic has responded by building out its in-house security operation. The company now maintains 24/7 security at its facilities and has been recruiting for protective services leadership roles.
A bigger number in context
The security bill sits alongside a much larger pay figure. Amodei’s total reported compensation reached $18 million last year.
That package is part of a trend of equity-heavy pay across the AI sector. Much of what top AI executives earn is tied to company stock rather than cash salary.
Silicon Valley’s growing security tab
Anthropic is far from the biggest spender in this category. Meta reportedly spent over $25 million on security for Mark Zuckerberg in a recent year.
The pattern extends beyond individual companies. Median security spending for S&P 500 executives has risen significantly, with tech and finance leading the increase.
The threatening message routed through Claude adds another wrinkle. It shows that a company’s own product can become a channel for hostility aimed at the people who built it.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.