Billionaires warned New York would scare off business. Anthropic and Airbnb just made their biggest bets on the city yet

July 10, 2026 - 22:19

Despite repeated warnings from some of the world's wealthiest investors that New York City is becoming hostile to business, two major tech companies are making their largest commitments to the city yet. AI firm Anthropic and hospitality giant Airbnb have both announced significant expansions, signaling a strong vote of confidence in the local economy.

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, said it plans to more than double its New York workforce. The company expects to have over 1,000 employees in the city by the end of this year. This marks a major bet on the city's talent pool, especially as the AI sector faces intense competition for engineers and researchers.

Airbnb, meanwhile, is also deepening its roots. The company has secured a large new office space in Manhattan, its biggest physical footprint in the city to date. The move comes as the firm looks to expand its product and engineering teams, moving beyond its San Francisco headquarters.

The expansions stand in contrast to a chorus of warnings from billionaires like hedge fund manager Ken Griffin and others, who have argued that high taxes, crime, and regulatory burdens are driving companies away. Griffin himself moved his firm, Citadel, from Chicago to Miami, and has been vocal about New York's challenges.

But for Anthropic and Airbnb, the draw of New York's deep talent pool, its status as a global financial and cultural hub, and its dense network of tech workers appears to outweigh the concerns. Both companies are betting that the city remains a critical market for growth, even as the broader narrative around urban business climates grows more complicated.