OpenAI in talks to raise funds at $750 billion valuation, fueling IPO chatter
Private-investor discussions Center on a potential round that could lift OpenAI’s valuation about 50% from October, with ongoing talk of a public listing and large infrastructure spend.
OpenAI is in preliminary talks with private investors to raise tens of billions of dollars at a valuation around $750 billion, according to The New York Post. The discussions are described as early and subject to change, and sources say the round could total as much as $100 billion. If the round proceeds, it would mark about a 50% jump from OpenAI’s valuation of about $500 billion in October, when current and former employees were allowed to sell roughly $6.6 billion in shares.
Industry and investment observers note that the talks come as OpenAI weighs a possible public offering and continues to build the infrastructure required for more powerful AI models. Reuters reported in October that OpenAI was laying the groundwork for an initial public offering and could file with regulators in the second half of next year, with some people familiar with the matter saying a Wall Street debut could value the company as high as $1 trillion. OpenAI has publicly said that an IPO is not its focus and that it is focused on building a durable business to benefit broad society.
Amazon is said to be in talks to invest at least $10 billion in OpenAI and to supply the company with its computer chips, Bloomberg reported earlier this week.
ChatGPT has a large user base, with more than 800 million weekly active users, though the company has yet to turn a profit. The current fundraising chatter comes as OpenAI seeks to finance a rapid expansion of data centers and other infrastructure needed to train more advanced AI models. Altman has signaled a plan to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in such infrastructure, a move that has spooked some investors and fueled discussions about whether the market is in a tech bubble.
OpenAI’s leadership has acknowledged the ongoing fundraising discussions while reiterating that its primary aim is to advance its mission and build tools that broadly benefit society. The Post noted it reached out to OpenAI for comment, but details were not immediately available. Separately, industry coverage has highlighted a potential trajectory that could keep funds flowing to OpenAI while it navigates a path toward a more scalable, profit-oriented model. Analysts have warned that large-scale capital moves could intensify scrutiny of AI financing and valuations, particularly as competitors accelerate their own AI efforts.