As OpenAI and Anthropic remain private, everyday investors cannot easily buy into the companies directly. That has helped fuel a very different kind of secondary market: branded hoodies, T-shirts and other company swag being resold online.
According to the report, buyers are treating the merchandise as more than casual apparel. The appeal is tied to the prestige surrounding two of the most closely watched AI startups, with some shoppers using the items as a way to signal proximity to the center of the generative AI boom.
The result is a resale trade where used clothing can command unusually high prices for basic startup merchandise. In this case, scarcity and hype appear to be doing the work that access to shares normally would, turning giveaway apparel into a collectible linked to Silicon Valley’s biggest AI names.
The trend underscores how strong public interest in private AI companies has become. When stock is out of reach, even a sweatshirt can become a substitute symbol of participation in the market excitement around OpenAI and Anthropic.
