OpenAI Eyes $500 Billion Valuation in Employee Share Sale Talks
As ChatGPT usage skyrockets and revenue surges, OpenAI considers a $500 billion valuation in a potential employee share sale ahead of a future IPO.
AI powerhouse considers major secondary stock sale as ChatGPT growth drives revenue surge, setting the stage for potential IPO and corporate restructuring.
OpenAI, the trailblazing AI research firm behind ChatGPT, is reportedly exploring a landmark employee share sale that could value the company at a staggering $500 billion—up from its current $300 billion valuation, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
The proposed deal would allow current and former employees to cash out several billion dollars in equity ahead of a possible public listing. The move reflects OpenAI’s rapid growth trajectory and highlights the growing competition among tech giants to attract and retain top-tier artificial intelligence talent.
Backed by Microsoft, OpenAI has seen explosive adoption of its ChatGPT product suite, with weekly active users soaring to 700 million—up from 400 million in February 2025. This spike in engagement has fueled substantial revenue growth: OpenAI has reportedly doubled its income in the first seven months of the year, reaching an annualized run rate of $12 billion, and is on track to hit $20 billion by year-end.
The potential share sale would follow a major funding round led by Japan’s SoftBank Group, which committed to contribute $22.5 billion to OpenAI’s ongoing $40 billion capital raise. While SoftBank has until year-end to finalize its funding, the remaining portion of the round has already been subscribed at a $300 billion valuation.
This initiative mirrors trends seen in other high-growth tech companies like ByteDance, Databricks, and Ramp, which have used private share sales to update valuations and provide liquidity to early employees. OpenAI investors, including Thrive Capital, are said to be considering participation in the upcoming sale.
Meanwhile, the company is reportedly preparing a major corporate restructuring that would transition away from its capped-profit model, potentially paving the way for an IPO. Still, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar has emphasized that any move to go public would depend on broader market conditions and organizational readiness.
As AI competition intensifies—with rivals like Meta pouring billions into new ventures such as Scale AI and aggressively pursuing top minds like CEO Alexandr Wang—OpenAI’s growth story, investor interest, and valuation milestones are setting a bold precedent for the future of artificial intelligence in both the public and private markets.
