OpenAI valued at a record $500 billion valuation, becoming the world's most valuable startup

OpenAI has completed a $6.6 billion secondary share sale, valuing the company at a record $500 billion.

The latest deal cements OpenAI's position as the world's most valuable private company - Photo: REUTERS

News agency Bloomberg was first to report that the deal had closed. In August, CNBC reported that OpenAI was in the midst of a secondary share sale at a $500 billion valuation, with investors including Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and T. Rowe Price.

In a statement to CNBC , MGX said it is “excited to be a core partner of OpenAI,” and looks forward to continuing to build on its “strong relationship as a key investor across multiple funding rounds.”

While OpenAI authorized the sale of up to $10.3 billion in shares — up from an initial target of $6 billion — only about two-thirds of that figure actually transferred.

The lower level of participation is being seen as a sign of confidence in the company’s long-term prospects, and shows that the investment potential remains strong, even at a valuation of $500 billion, up from $300 billion earlier this year, people briefed on internal discussions said.

The stock sale is open to current and former employees who qualify, starting in early September, requiring them to have held the shares for more than two years.

The sale marks OpenAI’s second major share offering in less than a year, following a $1.5 billion deal with SoftBank in November 2024. The latest transaction cements OpenAI’s status as the world’s most valuable private company, surpassing SpaceX’s $456 billion valuation.

The deal also comes amid growing competition for AI talent, with tech giant Meta reportedly offering nine-figure compensation packages to lure top researchers.

OpenAI is among a growing number of high-profile startups, including SpaceX, Stripe, and Databricks, that are using secondary share sales to allow employees to realize profits. The move is widely seen as a strategy to retain talent and reward long-term employees without going public.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/openai-duoc-dinh-gia-o-muc-dinh-gia-ky-luc-500-ti-usd-thanh-startup-gia-tri-nhat-the-gioi-20251004114347475.htm