Anthropic and Airbnb expand New York offices amid business-flight warnings
Anthropic plans a larger Manhattan office and Airbnb has bought one, even as some investors warn that city politics could push companies away.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Anthropic and Airbnb are expanding their physical presence in New York City, putting new weight behind Manhattan offices at a time when some prominent investors have warned that local politics could drive companies away. The moves matter because both companies are committing to the city despite disputes over taxes, regulation and progressive policy.
Anthropic is taking all 16 stories at 330 Hudson Street in Manhattan, the New York Post reported. The artificial intelligence company, known for its Claude chatbot, is moving from a smaller office nearby at 155 Sixth Avenue and plans to increase its New York workforce sharply.
The company had fewer than 500 employees in the city at the start of the year and expects to have more than 1,000 by year-end, according to the New York Post. The building has room for 1,700 desks, and Anthropic is hiring in New York for research, engineering, policy, sales and operations roles, Fortune reported.
Paul Smith, Anthropic’s chief commercial officer, told the New York Post that New York is a major center for applying AI because of its financial institutions, media companies and cultural organizations. He said expanding the company’s team in the city would put Anthropic closer to those customers and workers.
Airbnb is also putting down more permanent roots in Manhattan. The company bought 281 Park Avenue South, a six-story building in Gramercy, for $81.5 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The building is expected to become a base for Airbnb’s New York-area staff, which includes more than 600 employees, the New York Post reported. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told AM New York that New York has been part of the company since its early years and that the property will be one of its largest employee centers outside San Francisco.
The purchase stands out because Airbnb has spent years fighting New York officials over short-term rental restrictions, Fortune reported. Local Law 18, adopted in 2022, reduced the company’s short-term rental business in the city, and Fortune reported that local rules include a 30-day minimum-stay requirement for Airbnb listings.
The office moves contrast with warnings from some billionaires about New York’s direction. Investor Bill Ackman said last year that if Zohran Mamdani became mayor, “You’re going to see the flight of businesses from New York,” Fortune reported.
Citadel founder Ken Griffin has also urged business leaders in New York to defend the city, Fortune reported. Griffin later clashed publicly with Mamdani after the mayor cited Griffin’s penthouse in a Tax Day video while arguing for a pied-a-terre tax; Citadel’s chief communications officer told investors the firm could halt work on a $6 billion Midtown building, though Fortune reported that the halt has not happened.
New York officials welcomed Anthropic’s expansion. Fortune reported that Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul supported the announcement, while City Comptroller Mark Levine told NY1 he wanted AI tools to be built in New York so residents could share in the economic activity and influence how the technology develops.
Hochul has also pointed to Micron’s planned $100 billion semiconductor project in New York as evidence of the state’s appeal to companies, according to remarks cited by Fortune. Anthropic and Airbnb did not immediately respond to Fortune’s requests for comment.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.