The AI race has no shortage of contenders, but Palantir Technologies Inc‘s (NASDAQ:PLTR) co-founder Joe Lonsdale knows exactly where he would place his bet today. Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box, the Palantir co-founder was asked a simple question: if he could choose between investing in SpaceX, Anthropic or OpenAI, which would he pick?



His answer offered a clear endorsement of SpaceX and Anthropic’s position in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.



“I have bought SpaceX and Anthropic actually,” Lonsdale said. “I think those are the two strongest right now by far.”



<h2>Anthropic’s Momentum</h2>



While Lonsdale stressed that OpenAI remains an impressive company, he suggested the balance of momentum may be shifting.



“I think Anthropic clearly has the momentum behind it,” he said.



The comments come as Anthropic has emerged as one of the fastest-growing companies in technology, driven by strong adoption of its Claude family of models and growing enterprise demand.



Lonsdale pointed to execution and focus as key differentiators.



By contrast, he suggested OpenAI may have struggled with competing priorities as it expanded into multiple business lines.



“OpenAI was probably doing too much and lost some talent,” he said.



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<h2>OpenAI Isn’t Out Of The Race</h2>



Despite favoring Anthropic, Lonsdale stopped well short of writing off OpenAI.



“We’re rooting for OpenAI not to implode,” he said, before quickly adding that he believes the company remains highly capable.



“I think the coding stuff is quite strong and I think they’re going to figure it out.”



That assessment reflects a growing debate among investors over whether Anthropic’s recent momentum represents a temporary lead or a more durable shift in the competitive landscape.



<h2>The New AI Leader?</h2>



Lonsdale’s comments are notable because they come from a longtime technology investor and one of the co-founders of Palantir, a company increasingly embedded in the AI ecosystem.



While many investors still view OpenAI as the face of generative AI, Lonsdale’s remarks suggest some influential figures in Silicon Valley see Anthropic as gaining ground.



For now, his ranking is straightforward.



SpaceX remains his favorite infrastructure play tied to the AI boom. Anthropic, meanwhile, appears to be his preferred pure-play AI company.



As billions of dollars continue flowing into the sector and competition intensifies, Lonsdale’s verdict is clear: among the major AI labs, Anthropic currently has the wind at its back.



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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale identified SpaceX and Anthropic as the strongest technology bets, favoring them over OpenAI. He believes Anthropic currently holds the momentum in the AI race due to strong execution and focus, whereas OpenAI may have lost talent by diversifying too much. While acknowledging OpenAI's capabilities, Lonsdale views SpaceX as his top infrastructure play and Anthropic as the leading pure-play AI company.

- Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir Technologies, favors investing in SpaceX and Anthropic over OpenAI in the AI race.  
- He highlights Anthropic's momentum driven by strong demand for its Claude models, while suggesting OpenAI has faced challenges with competing priorities.  
- Despite supporting Anthropic, Lonsdale acknowledges OpenAI's capabilities and expresses optimism for its future, reflecting a competitive shift in the AI landscape.

Palantir Co-Founder Picks SpaceX And Anthropic Over OpenAI In AI Race