OpenAI has reached a staggering valuation of $500 billion after employees and ex-staff sold $6.6 billion worth of shares, marking one of the biggest private company valuations in the tech sector.
According to details, the OpenAI valuation climbed from its earlier $300 billion, showcasing the company’s rapid momentum in both users and revenue. Reuters first revealed details of the stock sale in August.
The transaction involved OpenAI employees selling shares to a consortium of investors, including Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and T. Rowe Price. The source, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the company had approved secondary market stock sales worth over $10 billion.
Neither Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer, MGX, nor T. Rowe Price responded immediately to Reuters’ requests for comment. The share sale adds to SoftBank’s earlier backing in OpenAI’s $40 billion primary funding round.
In terms of financial performance, OpenAI generated approximately $4.3 billion in revenue during the first half of 2025, about 16 percent higher than its total revenue for all of last year, according to The Information.
The deal comes at a time when global tech giants are competing fiercely for AI expertise. Meta, in particular, has been investing billions into Scale AI and recently hired its 28-year-old CEO, Alexandr Wang, to head its new superintelligence division.
With the OpenAI valuation now at $500 billion, the company is further cementing its status as a leader in artificial intelligence, reflecting surging investor confidence and rising demand for cutting-edge AI technologies.