OpenAI’s valuation reaches $500 billion following a $6.6 billion share sale to investors
OpenAI achieved a valuation of $500 billion following the sale of $6.6 billion in shares by employees to prominent global investors.
OpenAI, the organization responsible for ChatGPT, has achieved a valuation of $500 billion after a transaction in which current and former employees sold approximately $6.6 billion in shares, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke to reporters on Thursday.
The most recent valuation signifies a significant rise from the earlier $300 billion, highlighting OpenAI’s swift expansion in terms of both users and revenue. Earlier reports from Reuters provided details regarding the stock sale that took place in August.
OpenAI employees sold shares to a consortium of investors, which includes Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and T. Rowe Price, as reported by a source who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak to the media. The source indicated that the company had approved sales exceeding $10 billion in stock on the secondary market.
Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer, MGX, and T. Rowe Price have yet to respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The transaction complements SoftBank’s previous investment in OpenAI’s $40 billion primary funding round.
According to a report from the Information earlier this week, OpenAI generated approximately $4.3 billion in revenue during the first half of 2025, which is about 16% higher than its total revenue for the entirety of last year.
The share sale occurs in the context of escalating competition among global tech giants for AI talent, driven by attractive compensation packages that promote aggressive recruitment efforts. Meta has made significant investments in Scale AI, recently hiring its 28-year-old CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead its new super-intelligence unit.
