It’s boom time for billionaires. In the next few months, the world could see a fresh crew of technology entrepreneurs join that club, and the numbers of multi-millionaires would swell even more.

How a new wave of science philanthropists can have the greatest impact

Two giants of artificial intelligence, OpenAI and Anthropic, plan to go public in the next year or so, floating stocks that are expected to rocket some of their employees into the ranks of the ultra-wealthy. Some analysts have projected that Anthropic’s initial public offering (IPO) might bring in US$2 trillion, the largest in history. OpenAI is reportedly targeting $1.4 trillion for its IPO, although the company delayed going public until 2027 amid renewed concerns about AI safety.

If these IPOs go as planned, the effects might extend well beyond sales of superyachts, mansions and private jets.…