Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries from healthcare to finance, and now it is coming for one of America’s most traditional assets — real estate. One family in Miami is betting on the AI boom, asking buyers interested in their luxury home for stocks in OpenAI, Anthropic or SpaceX.
In an essay with Business Insider, (1) Luis Noguera says his father is ready to sell his $2.6 million Miami home and the family is seriously considering taking shares in the tech giants if the right buyer comes along.
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Noguera, who has a background in technology and data, says the property was purchased years ago as an investment and was rented out with solid returns. After the tenant moved out, the family re-evaluated their options. No one in the family wanted to move in and no one cared to continue renting it out. The house didn’t fit the family’s long-term financial plans anymore.
That’s when they began considering AI stocks.
Noguera says his family believes a mix of cash and owning those companies’ stocks would be a better long-term investment than continuing to just hold onto the property.
“Years ago, people might have looked at a rental property and assumed it was the obvious asset to keep,” Noguera explained in his essay, “My family looks at that same property and thinks we’d rather own a piece of the companies building the future.”
OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX
SpaceX’s highly anticipated public offering is set to begin trading on the Nasdaq this month. The company plans to raise to $75 billion and has been valued at an eye-watering $1.75 trillion, making it the largest IPO in history.
Anthropic has confidentially filed for U.S. initial public offering (2) (IPO). The company did not disclose the size of its offering, but last raised $65 billion (3), bringing its valuation to $965 billion. OpenAI was valued at $852 billion (4) at its last round of funding, and is reportedly expected to file in the coming weeks.
The series of public offerings are expected to trigger a wave of investment and employee wealth, though there has been concern the companies are overvalued.
“Could these investments go down? Absolutely,” Noguera says. “There’s risk in any emerging technology. That’s one reason we’d likely prefer a combination of stock and cash rather than an all-stock transaction.”
But Noguera says the idea is driven by his confidence in AI, calling it a “transformational” technology.
It turns out the Noguera family isn’t unique. In May, Business Insider reported that a high-end luxury home (5) in San Francisco was listed with a request for Anthropic and OpenAI stocks as payment. The estate agent in that sale was flooded with interest less than 24 hours after the offer went live. And in April, a tech banker offered his $4.8m estate in exchange for Anthropic shares. He told Business Insider he received multiple offers, (6) including from some Anthropic employees.
Is accepting stocks in exchange for your home a good idea?
Private real estate transactions can be structured however each party agrees, but alternative forms of payment can come with different risks. If you decide to accept stock as payment for your home, whether full or partial, there are things that need to be considered.
Since stock prices fluctuate, anyone considering accepting stocks as payment should ensure they are locking into a specific share count or dollar value, or include adjustment-clauses. There’s also the standard risk that comes with any stock holdings. If the stock later drops in value, that’s your loss.
If sellers accept stocks as payment, they can still face capital gains taxes. According to the IRS, (7) the amount you realize on the sale of your home includes cash or any other properties you receive. This includes stocks.
The buyer transferring the stock could owe capital gains on the difference between the original cost and the stock’s value at the time of transfer. On the other hand, the seller could owe capital gains tax if they’re profiting on the sale. Once you accept the stock, you become the holder and face future tax obligations when selling.
For a family like the Noguera, accepting stocks may be more plausible if they’re looking to secure a longer-term investment. For a family or individual who needs the capital, let’s say to buy a new home, accepting stock as payment isn’t a smart idea short-term. Instead, sellers can consider investing a portion of money earned from the sale in stocks, that way they can use some of the cash while still investing in their future.
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Business Insider (1), (5), (6); Anthropic (2), (3); OpenAI (4); Internal Revenue Service (7)
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: A Florida man is selling his $2.6 million home — and will accept OpenAI, Anthropic or SpaceX stock as payment
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