Anthony Scaramucci Admits Major Investing Error Amid SpaceX and Anthropic Deals
Anthony Scaramucci says he’s not falling for the same mistake twice—no matter how hot the deal. The SkyBridge Capital founder told Yahoo Finance his biggest investing regret was chasing a hyped private company at a “ridiculous” valuation, only to be burned when reality failed to catch up with the sticker price.
He didn’t name the specific investment, but said he “overpaid by at least 100%.” The financial hit ran well into eight figures, a misstep he says forced a hard reset on how he prices risk in private deals.
Scaramucci’s new stance: no amount of FOMO will push him into SpaceX or Anthropic at current prices. He called both valuations “outrageous,” with SpaceX reportedly seeking a $200 billion tag in its latest secondary sale and Anthropic’s last round pricing the AI firm at $18.4 billion. “I’m not doing it again,” Scaramucci said, arguing that late-stage private markets are rife with “delusional” pricing.
His warning stands out in an environment where capital is still chasing AI and space deals—sometimes at valuations that outstrip even the most optimistic revenue projections.
How Scaramucci’s Investment Misstep Reflects Broader Market Valuation Concerns
Scaramucci’s mea culpa isn’t just personal—it’s a mirror held up to the private tech and space markets. Venture funding for AI and space startups hit record highs in 2023, with PitchBook reporting global VC investments topping $346 billion. But the fever has triggered a disconnect between public and private market multiples, especially in buzzy sectors like generative AI and commercial space.
SpaceX’s $200 billion valuation would make it larger than Boeing, despite generating a fraction of the aerospace giant’s revenue. Anthropic, meanwhile, is still burning cash and racing to build a moat against OpenAI and Google. These numbers have spooked not just Scaramucci, but several top-tier VCs who privately say they’re passing on late-stage rounds due to “impossible” entry prices.
The challenge: access to private deals is still tightly controlled, with insiders and celebrity investors often setting the tone for what’s considered “market.” That dynamic can create a cascade where each new valuation sets a floor—until the music stops.
Scaramucci’s caution echoes the 2021 SPAC boom, where firms like Virgin Galactic and Astra soared on hype, only to crater once public investors demanded actual numbers. The same risk looms for late-stage backers of today’s space and AI darlings. Even Stripe, once the world’s most valuable private fintech, took a 47% haircut in 2023 to clear a path to IPO.
For investors, Scaramucci’s public regret is a warning: when the private market’s optimism outpaces fundamental growth, someone is left holding the bag. The only question is when.
What Investors Should Watch Next Following Scaramucci’s Warning on Overvaluation
Scaramucci’s blunt assessment could trigger a shift in how capital chases high-profile private rounds. Several VC firms have already slowed participation in late-stage deals, wary of bidding wars that inflate valuations beyond any reasonable DCF model. If more heavyweight allocators echo Scaramucci, expect a cooling off—especially as IPO markets remain sluggish and secondary sales dominate liquidity.
SpaceX is the bellwether. Its rumored $200 billion valuation is being quietly tested in secondary markets, with some shares trading below headline prices. Anthropic, for its part, faces a test of investor appetite in its next funding round—especially as rivals like OpenAI and Google cement multibillion-dollar lead positions.
Any major down round, or a well-known investor publicly passing, could reset pricing across the board. That’s what happened with Stripe and Klarna, and the ripple effects reshaped how late-stage tech is valued globally.
For investors navigating these waters, discipline is no longer optional. Scaramucci’s advice: skip the hype, interrogate fundamentals, and don’t be the last one in. “If you’re buying into companies at 100x forward revenue, you’re not investing—you’re speculating,” he said.
The next six months will reveal whether the market listens—or if another round of headline-grabbing valuations sets up the next correction.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.
The Bottom Line
- Scaramucci’s experience highlights the risks of chasing hype in private markets at inflated valuations.
- Investors face growing disconnects between company valuations and actual performance, especially in AI and space sectors.
- His caution underscores the importance of due diligence and resisting FOMO in high-growth industries.
