EY Emerges as Anthropic’s Likely Auditor Ahead of 2026 IPO Plans
Updated
Updated · Financial Times · Aug 12
EY Emerges as Anthropic’s Likely Auditor Ahead of 2026 IPO Plans
1 articles · Updated · Financial Times · Aug 12
Summary
Ernst & Young appears to be Anthropic’s only viable Big Four auditor as the AI company prepares for a potential 2026 IPO, though neither EY nor Anthropic confirmed the relationship.
Current SEC independence rules likely rule out the other major firms: Deloitte has a strategic Anthropic alliance, PwC expanded its Claude partnership on May 14, 2026, and KPMG launched client-facing Claude products in May.
Grant Thornton audited Anthropic’s UK unit for 2024, but private-equity ties involving Cinven and New Mountain Capital could complicate its independence for a US-listed audit, making a Big Four firm more likely.
The auditor matters because Anthropic and OpenAI both filed confidential IPO paperwork in June, and the first prospectus would reveal three years of audited financials and more detail on AI partnerships, investments and controls.
The race also highlights pressure on audit rules as AI alliances spread across the sector; SEC chief accountant Kurt Hohl has already suggested some independence standards may no longer be fit for purpose.