Reuters reported on October 2, 2025, the completion of a major secondary sale of OpenAI shares. In the deal, current and former company employees sold their shares for a total of about $6.6 billion. It is important to note that this was a secondary sale (tender offer), not the company raising new capital. The transaction was based on a new valuation of OpenAI, which, according to Reuters sources, reached $500 billion, making it one of the most valuable private companies in the world. The buyers were a group of investors that included SoftBank, Thrive Capital, and others. This event not only allowed OpenAI employees to cash in on part of their stake but also demonstrated the immense investor appetite for the AI leaders assets, despite the sky-high valuation.
Reuters: OpenAI Employees Sold $6.6 Billion in Shares at a $500 Billion Valuation
