Broadcom’s Anthropic Bet Gets Bigger as $60 Billion Financing Raises the Stakes

Key Points

• Anthropic's confidential IPO prospectus reportedly shows about $161 billion in commitments tied to Broadcom, reinforcing expectations it will become Broadcom's largest XPU customer next year.
• A $60 billion debt package backing Anthropic's chip deployment includes $42 billion in senior secured loans partially guaranteed by Broadcom and $18 billion in unguaranteed junior loans.
• Anthropic may issue Broadcom up to $42 billion in convertible notes to cover lease payments, an outcome tied to the company's ability to meet its obligations, as its IPO is now targeted for mid-November.

Anthropic’s confidential IPO prospectus, seen by Reuters, showed that the company has about $161 billion in commitments related to semiconductor giant Broadcom NASDAQ: AVGO. This adds weight to Broadcom’s assessment that Anthropic is on track to become its largest XPU customer next year. However, this commitment also requires substantial outside financing, given Anthropic’s still-developing profitability relative to the scale of its infrastructure obligations.

Investors recently received more details on just how much funding Anthropic will require to become Broadcom’s largest XPU buyer. For Broadcom, the rising level of financing exposure tied to its relationship with Anthropic raises the stakes for Anthropic’s much-anticipated IPO.

$60 Billion Debt Package Raises the Stakes

Broadcom, alongside private equity firms Apollo Global Management NYSE: APO and Blackstone NYSE: BX, has formed its “AI XPV." This is a funding vehicle where Apollo and Blackstone provide capital for AI racks built around Broadcom-designed accelerators, while Anthropic makes lease payments over time. The first tranche of this vehicle is worth a hefty $35 billion. However, Broadcom’s financing exposure tied to Anthropic doesn’t stop there.

Several banks have reportedly begun syndicating a separate $60 billion debt package. The package would help finance Anthropic’s deployment of AI infrastructure tied to Broadcom-backed accelerators, with Broadcom receiving payment as the equipment is deployed and Anthropic making lease payments over time. The package contains multiple key parts.

The first is a set of senior secured loans worth approximately $42 billion. “Secured” means that some form of collateral exists, so that if Anthropic defaults, lenders receive an asset they can sell.

This is similar to a mortgage, where if a homeowner can no longer make payments, the bank takes possession of the property and can resell it to recoup its losses. Based on the structure of the AI XPV agreement, the AI racks are likely collateral. If Anthropic cannot pay, Broadcom could arrange to sell the racks to other customers to help repay lenders.

Broadcom is also expected to provide partial guarantees for these loans. This suggests that if, after reselling the racks, lenders still have not been fully repaid, Broadcom will use its cash to make up the difference. However, it is unclear how much of the $42 billion loan Broadcom has guaranteed.

Nonetheless, this $42 billion is 20% larger than the already large $35 billion first AI XPV tranche, showing how Broadcom’s support for Anthropic is rapidly expanding. This makes Anthropic’s continued growth ever more important to Broadcom, realizing the best possible return on these rack sales.

How Junior Debt and Convertibles Come Into Play

The $60 billion package also includes $18 billion worth of junior loans. This means that in the event of default, lenders purchasing these loans can only receive payment after the $42 billion senior loans have received their full payment. Additionally, Broadcom is not expected to guarantee the junior tranche, limiting its financial liability should Anthropic default.

Ideally, Broadcom would not provide guarantees for any of the loans discussed, as it would then not have the risk of having to make lenders whole. However, this would also damage demand for the loans and thereby Anthropic’s ability to purchase its chips. Broadcom’s strong cash generation and investment-grade credit profile can help make guaranteed financing more attractive to lenders.

There is another wrinkle to be aware of: convertible notes. Anthropic may issue convertible notes to Broadcom with a principal amount of up to $42 billion to fund its lease payments. Essentially, Broadcom would purchase these notes, providing Anthropic with funds to make lease payments should this become necessary.

These notes may accrue interest that Anthropic must pay Broadcom, alongside repaying the principal. Additionally, Broadcom could “convert” the notes into shares of Anthropic, giving it ownership in the company. However, a convertible issuance would likely occur only if Anthropic faced difficulty paying its lease obligations: an overall negative outcome for Broadcom.

Anthropic Reportedly Eyes Pre-Thanksgiving IPO; A Key Broadcom Watch Item

Ultimately, Broadcom wants Anthropic to continue scaling and for rack resales and convertible note issuance to never occur. This is why Anthropic’s financials are among the most important watch items for Broadcom stock. Unfortunately, at this point, updates on Anthropic’s financials are sporadic and often come through industry reports rather than directly from the firm.

In turn, the release of Anthropic’s official IPO documents will be a critical point for reassessing Broadcom’s outlook. Encouragingly, investors may not have to wait much longer to receive this information. Anthropic is reportedly targeting a public debut as soon as mid-November, potentially before Thanksgiving. Still, it’s worth noting that this marks a delay relative to previous expectations that Anthropic’s IPO could occur as soon as October, suggesting potential further delays.