OpenAI Eyes $500 Billion Valuation Through Employee Share Sale
OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is reportedly planning a share sale for employees, potentially raising the company’s valuation to nearly $500 billion—up from its current estimated value of $300 billion, according to sources cited by Reuters.
The proposed secondary sale would allow current and former employees to liquidate shares worth several billion dollars. The move comes as OpenAI continues to ride the momentum of ChatGPT’s global popularity.
According to internal data, OpenAI has doubled its revenue in the first seven months of this year, reaching an annualized run rate of $12 billion. That figure could climb to $20 billion by the end of the year. The Microsoft-backed firm now boasts around 700 million weekly active users, up from 400 million in February.
As part of its previously announced $40 billion funding round, Japan’s SoftBank is reportedly preparing to invest $22.5 billion. Analysts suggest that this employee share sale may also pave the way for a future initial public offering (IPO).
