A version of this article first appeared in CNBC's Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide for the affluent investor and consumer. Sign up to receive future editions straight to your inbox. Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, has become known as “the AI whisperer” for his widespread predictions and warnings about artificial intelligence. Behind the scenes, however, Schmidt's family office has made dozens of bets on private AI startups. Schmidt's family office, called Hillspire, has invested in 22 private AI companies since 2019, according to data provided exclusively to CNBC by Fintrx, a private wealth intelligence platform. Last year alone, Hillspire made thirteen investments in AI startups, which accounted for more than three-quarters of all Schmidt's startup investments. The dollar amounts of the investments are not disclosed, so it is unclear how much Schmidt has invested in each company. And some investments were follow-on rounds for the same companies. Still, funding rounds for the 22 companies Schmidt has invested in since 2019 total more than $5 billion, according to Fintrx. Schmidt's bets include some of the biggest AI startups, including Anthropic, Holistic AI and SandboxAQ. This also includes smaller companies, such as Swiss startup Optiml, Altera and Inworld AI. Schmidt has become one of the leading evangelists of artificial intelligence, having co-authored one of the defining books on the technology, 'The Age of AI', with Henry Kissinger and Daniel Huttenlocher. He is also a leading voice on the potential dangers of AI. Schmidt said in an interview with ABC News late last year that when a computer can learn and do anything, “that's a dangerous point. If the system can improve itself, we should seriously consider pulling the plug on it.” ” Forbes reported this month that Hillspire is also funding an AI startup focused on video and social media called Hooglee. Hooglee's website said it is “on a mission to change the way people connect through the power of AI and video.” Although Schmidt has been a leader in technology for years, he is not alone among family offices showing an interest in AI. A UBS survey found that artificial intelligence is now the top investment theme for family offices. More than three-quarters, or 78%, of family offices surveyed plan to invest in AI over the next two to three years – the most for any category, according to the UBS Global Family Office Report. Here is the list of Hillspire's AI startup investments:
Eric Schmidt, former chairman and CEO of Google.
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A version of this article first appeared in CNBC's Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide for the affluent investor and consumer. Register to receive future editions straight to your inbox.
Eric Schmidt, the former billionaire CEO Googlinghas become known as “the AI whisperer” for his widespread predictions and warnings about artificial intelligence.
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