OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has reached a $500 billion valuation following a deal in which current and former employees sold approximately $6.6 billion worth of shares, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. This marks an increase from its previous $300 billion valuation.

Major Investors Participate in Secondary Market Stock Sale

The share sale involved a consortium of investors including Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and T. Rowe Price. The company had authorized the sale of over $10 billion worth of stock on the secondary market, according to the source who requested anonymity.

OpenAI’s Revenue Growth Supports Higher Valuation

OpenAI generated about $4.3 billion in revenue during the first half of 2025, which is roughly 16% higher than its total revenue for 2024, as reported earlier this week by the Information. This strong revenue performance underpins the company’s increased market valuation.

Intense Competition for AI Talent Among Tech Giants

The share sale occurs amid fierce competition among tech companies to secure AI talent with lucrative compensation. Meta is investing billions in AI initiatives and recently recruited Alexandr Wang, the 28-year-old CEO of Scale AI, to lead its new super intelligence unit.

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This article was created with AI assistance.