Khaberni - In an unprecedented move in the technology world, OpenAI has officially become the most valuable private company in the world, after its valuation rose to 500 billion dollars following the sale of 6.6 billion dollars worth of shares from current and former employee stakes.
The list of buyers includes several leading global investors, including "Softbank", "Thrive Capital", "Dragoneer Investment Group", "MGX", and "T. Rowe Price", according to a report published by "Bloomberg".
Although the deal was not a traditional funding round – as the funds went directly to individuals holding stocks and options rather than to the company's treasury – it served as an effective tool for retaining talent within the company, especially amid intense competition with Meta's AI lab, which managed to lure at least seven of OpenAI's top engineers last summer with significant financial enticements.
Record funding and massive infrastructure plans
This deal comes just months after closing a funding round in August, during which the company raised 40 billion dollars at a valuation of 300 billion dollars.
That round also involved major investors like "Softbank", "Thrive", "T. Rowe Price", and "Dragoneer", along with giant investment funds like "Blackstone" and "TPG", as well as leading venture capital firms like "Founders Fund", "Sequoia Capital", and "Andreessen Horowitz".
The company is pursuing ambitious infrastructure projects, having committed to spend 300 billion dollars on cloud computing services from "Oracle" over the next five years, a figure far exceeding its current revenues.
However, the pace of attracting massive investments suggests that these commitments might not be impossible to achieve.
In an additional strategic move, "Nvidia" announced in September plans to invest 100 billion dollars in OpenAI as part of a partnership to develop infrastructure.
Partnership with "Microsoft" and legal challenges
The latest deal also comes weeks after signing a non-binding agreement with "Microsoft", which analysts considered a precursor to formally transitioning OpenAI into a for-profit company.
However, judicial approval for this transition has not yet been granted, and the recent sales may create additional complications if this path cannot be fully completed.
Rapid growth despite huge spending
In terms of financial performance, OpenAI revealed that it earned 4.3 billion dollars in revenues in the first half of 2025, while its cash spending reached about 2.5 billion dollars.
Meanwhile, the company continued to launch its products at an accelerated pace, having released this week the new video model Sora 2 alongside an integrated social media platform.
With this achievement, OpenAI not only solidifies its position as the most innovative AI company but also becomes the highest-valued private company in the world, even surpassing traditional tech giants in the race for digital and financial influence.
