OpenAI employees offered a $1.5 billion share sale

SoftBank invests further in OpenAI expansion.
OpenAI’s image tool is now free for all users, though limits remain unclear. Meanwhile, the company has secured $40 billion in funding at a $300 billion valuation.

OpenAI is allowing employees to sell up to $1.5 billion worth of shares to Japan’s SoftBank Group in a new tender offer, according to sources familiar with the deal. This follows SoftBank’s $500 million investment in OpenAI during an October funding round that valued the Microsoft-backed AI startup at $157 billion. Employees have until 24 December to decide whether to sell their shares, with the offer price matching the last funding round.

SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 will finance the purchase, reflecting CEO Masayoshi Son’s strategy to increase his stake in AI ventures. Son has aggressively expanded his AI portfolio, including investments in OpenAI and chip startup Graphcore, as he positions the conglomerate to ride the AI boom.

OpenAI continues to attract global attention with its flagship product ChatGPT, which now boasts 250 million weekly active users. The company’s rapid growth and high valuation highlight its central role in shaping the AI revolution.