{"id":650852,"date":"2026-05-18T19:04:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/650852\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T19:04:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:04:11","slug":"tristan-thompson-explains-why-he-was-an-early-investor-in-a-900-billion-ai-company-they-were-telling-me-about-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/650852\/","title":{"rendered":"Tristan Thompson explains why he was an early investor in a $900 billion AI company: \u201cThey were telling me about the future\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the years, NBA players like Magic Johnson, Shaquille O\u2019Neal and LeBron James<\/a> have been widely praised for their business acumen, turning smart investments into massive wealth beyond basketball. Now, it seems Tristan Thompson<\/a> is carving out a similar path \u2014 this time in the rapidly growing AI space.<\/p>\n

The 2016 NBA champion recently revealed that he holds equity in Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI model. The startup is reportedly valued at around $900 billion, with growing speculations that it could go public as early as 2026.<\/p>\n

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That alone places Thompson in a rare circle of athletes who are not just investing, but doing so in cutting-edge industries with massive upside.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, what makes this journey even more interesting is how he gained access. Thompson credited Silicon Valley dinners organized around NBA road games, where networking with tech insiders opened doors to such an opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlaying against the Warriors and going to a couple of these dinners they were doing with the NBA, sitting there talking to these guys and really picking their brains. They were telling me about the future of AI and technology,\u201d Thompson recalled<\/a>. \u201cI was like, \u2018Hey man, I like what you\u2019re talking about. You sound cool, sounds like you\u2019re transparent. Here\u2019s a check. I wanna get in the game.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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TT ensured to write an even bigger check<\/p>\n

Additionally, instead of investing individually, he participated through a special-purpose vehicle (SPV), pooling funds with other athletes to secure a stake in an otherwise oversubscribed funding round.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom there they just opened up so much for me,\u201d Thompson added. \u201cI was able to get in early through SPVs and bring in my other buddies to make a bigger check.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthropic itself has become one of the most talked-about AI companies, backed by giants like Alphabet Inc and Amazon.<\/p>\n

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With developments like expanding Claude\u2019s capabilities into legal tech \u2014 helping law firms automate complex workflows \u2014 it\u2019s clear the company is positioning itself at the forefront of enterprise AI solutions.<\/p>\n

Related: “She’s rubbed some NBA legs, but none like Barkley’s” – A female massage therapist claimed Charles Barkley had the biggest thighs in the NBA<\/a><\/p>\n

Thompson ensured to write an even bigger check<\/p>\n

However, do not take Thompson for a passive investor here. He is also involved in the AI ecosystem through his own venture, Tracy AI, where he serves as co-founder, chief content officer and lead advisor.<\/p>\n

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The platform is designed as an AI-powered sports analytics agent, trained on basketball data such as stats and media coverage, capable of responding to speech and text theories. Put simply, its goal is to enhance how athletes train, perform, and even connect with fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the cool thing about this AI technology,\u201d the former Cavs forward said<\/a>. \u201cIt can do things that an (analytics staffer) can\u2019t do because they don\u2019t have the time to go and grab all that information and curate it into a response.\u201d<\/p>\n

That being said, while many startups today are rushing into AI, Tristan stands out as someone who not only believes in technology but is actively building within it. In many ways, he\u2019s following the blueprint set by earlier NBA entrepreneurs \u2014 just in a far more futuristic lane.<\/p>\n

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Related: \u201cShe\u2019s a good soul\u201d \u2014 Tristan Thompson opens up about his post-breakup relationship with Khloe Kardashian<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Basketball Network<\/a> on May 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court<\/a> section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n