OpenAI has reached a staggering $500 billion valuation following a major secondary share sale led by SoftBank, according to Reuters. The deal allowed current and former employees to cash out around $6.6 billion worth of shares, reflecting strong investor appetite for the artificial intelligence leader behind ChatGPT. The valuation marks a sharp rise from the $300 billion figure set earlier this year and underscores the booming demand for AI technology worldwide.

The secondary transaction was backed by a group of heavyweight investors, including Thrive Capital, Dragoneer, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and T. Rowe Price, alongside SoftBank’s increased stake. OpenAI had approved more than $10 billion worth of stock sales in total, though not all of it has yet been taken up, sources familiar with the deal told Reuters.

The move follows SoftBank’s lead role in a $40 billion primary funding round earlier in 2025, which originally valued OpenAI at $300 billion. By doubling down in this latest sale, SoftBank is signaling its long-term confidence in OpenAI’s ability to dominate the AI landscape and maintain an edge over rivals.
Fueling this investor enthusiasm is OpenAI’s rapid financial growth. The company posted roughly $4.3 billion in revenue during the first half of 2025, surpassing its entire 2024 revenue by 16%. Analysts believe these results validate its valuation and highlight the accelerating adoption of its AI products across industries.

The share sale also gives employees a rare chance at liquidity, a critical factor in retaining talent as competition for AI expertise intensifies. With major tech players racing to secure top engineers and researchers, OpenAI’s move is seen as both a financial milestone and a strategic step to solidify its workforce for the future.

Source: Reuters.