OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and a global leader in artificial intelligence, has raised $8.3 billion in funding at a massive $300 billion valuation, according to The New York Times. This oversubscribed round closed months ahead of schedule, highlighting strong investor confidence.
In March, OpenAI initially secured $2.5 billion as part of a $40 billion raise led by SoftBank, with plans to raise another $7.5 billion by year-end. However, overwhelming investor interest accelerated the process.
According to The Information, OpenAI is generating $12 billion in annualized revenue, driven by over 700 million weekly active users of ChatGPT. The Times reports an even higher figure—$13 billion in revenue—with projections of reaching $20 billion by the end of the year, fueled by the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan and ongoing discussions with Microsoft.
The round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, which made a surprising $2.8 billion investment. Major players also participated, including Blackstone, TPG, T. Rowe Price, and others like Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, Altimeter Capital, and Thrive Capital.
Despite the round’s success, some early investors voiced frustration at receiving smaller allocations as OpenAI prioritized onboarding new strategic backers to support its shift toward a for-profit model.
