OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has reached a $500 billion valuation, following a secondary share sale of approximately $6.6 billion by current and former employees. This marks a significant increase from its prior $300 billion valuation, reflecting rapid growth in users and revenue.
The transaction involved top-tier investors, including SoftBank, Thrive Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and T. Rowe Price, adding to SoftBank’s earlier participation in OpenAI’s $40 billion primary funding round. OpenAI generated roughly $4.3 billion in revenue in H1 2025, already 16% higher than its total for 2024.
The sale underscores the growing competition among tech giants to secure AI talent, as companies like Meta invest heavily in Scale AI and other advanced intelligence initiatives.