**OpenAI is in advanced talks to conduct a stock sale that could push its valuation to $500 billion, making it the world’s most valuable private tech firm**, according to Bloomberg. The deal would allow employees to sell shares and potentially surpass Elon Musk’s $400 billion-valued SpaceX.
Reports suggest that OpenAI is currently in the early stages of negotiations with investors regarding a potential stock sale. The proposed deal could see the company valued at an impressive $500 billion, making it the most valuable private tech firm globally. This valuation would surpass the $400 billion valuation of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, marking a significant milestone for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The sale is believed to allow OpenAI employees to benefit from their stake in the company, which has experienced substantial growth in recent years.
According to a source familiar with the discussions, all of OpenAI’s current investors, including the New York-based firm Thrive Capital, are involved in the potential sale. Since OpenAI is not publicly traded, this sale would provide an opportunity for current and former employees to sell shares directly to investors. The final valuation of the company will depend on the level of investor demand for the shares.
The talks are reportedly part of OpenAI’s strategy to tap into the strong investor interest in AI technologies. This initiative aims to incentivize employees by allowing them to cash out from their shares, ultimately benefiting from the company’s significant growth. The report follows a recent $40 billion funding round led by Japan’s SoftBank, which valued OpenAI at $300 billion. The company also raised an additional $8.3 billion in the same round, with demand reportedly five times higher than the available shares, indicating high investor confidence in the company’s future prospects.
OpenAI and Thrive Capital have both declined to comment on the specifics of the stock sale. However, the potential deal reflects an ongoing surge in investment into AI technology. Major companies such as Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet have spent tens of billions on AI initiatives this year, with plans to invest over $400 billion in 2026. Experts suggest that this trend could accelerate under the potential US President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, which offers tax incentives to companies that frontload their investments, thereby freeing up additional capital for AI projects.
Big US startups often allow employees to sell shares as a means to reward and retain talent while also attracting new investors. OpenAI, a prominent player in AI research, faces stiff competition from companies like Anthropic. Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, OpenAI has seen its annual subscription revenue grow to $12 billion, while Anthropic’s revenue has quadrupled this year to $4 billion. To stay ahead, OpenAI has recently released new open weight models for developers to customize, and is preparing to launch its highly anticipated GPT 5 model later this month.