Anthropic, Airbnb expand major New York offices despite billionaire warnings

The expansions by Anthropic and Airbnb arrive at a moment when prominent figures like billionaire investor Bill Ackman and Citadel founder Ken Griffin have publicly warned that New York's political direction—progressive taxation, housing regulation, and public safety concerns—threatens to push companies toward lower-tax states like Florida. Bezos, Schultz, and other wealthy individuals have already relocated to Florida, which has no personal income tax. Yet both Anthropic and Airbnb are making the opposite bet, suggesting that certain sectors find New York's strategic advantages irreplaceable despite regulatory friction.

For Anthropic, the move reflects the concentration of major financial and media institutions in Manhattan that are urgently adopting AI tools. The company has also anchored its broader U.S. expansion in a $50 billion（約8兆円） infrastructure investment announced in November, which includes data centers in New York. For Airbnb, the purchase is more surprising, given that Local Law 18 fundamentally constrained its core short-term rental business in one of the world's largest travel markets. That Airbnb is buying permanent office space anyway suggests the company views New York as essential for talent retention and operations, even as it battles ongoing regulatory restrictions. Both moves indicate that New York's cost and regulatory environment, while significant headwinds, have not overcome the city's value as a hub for high-value client relationships and specialized talent.