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Anthropic’s IPO filing describes its founders’ pledge to donate 80 per cent of their equity as voluntary and revocable, Mother Jones reports. The filing says the timing, amount and recipients of any donations remain uncertain.

That adds an important qualification to the pledge, previously reported as a commitment by Anthropic’s seven co-founders. The distinction is plain enough: a pledge is not the same as a binding obligation. Mother Jones also reports that the filing says donations will depend on each founder’s circumstances and other factors. How much weight should investors give a philanthropic pledge when the filing says it can be withdrawn?

Discuss: Should investors treat a revocable philanthropic pledge as meaningful, or as a promise only if it is legally binding?

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