Updated
Updated · Financial Times · Sep 15
OpenAI Weighs $1.2 Trillion Private Round as Revenue Tops $40 Billion Before IPO
Updated
Updated · Financial Times · Sep 15

OpenAI Weighs $1.2 Trillion Private Round as Revenue Tops $40 Billion Before IPO

3 articles · Updated · Financial Times · Sep 15

Summary

  • OpenAI has begun early talks with investors about a new private fundraising that could value the company at about $1.2 trillion, after raising capital in March at an $852 billion valuation.
  • Annualised revenue passed $40 billion last month after a 20% jump tied to the launches of GPT-5.6 in July and Astra this month, reviving growth after a slower start to the year.
  • The timing of any deal depends on when OpenAI pursues its IPO; Sam Altman said over the weekend a listing is unlikely before 2027, even though the company confidentially filed in June.
  • Fresh capital would let backers such as SoftBank and Thrive increase exposure, while helping fund a business that spent $34 billion last year and continues to burn cash training models.
  • The fundraising talks also come as competition intensifies: Anthropic reached a $965 billion post-money valuation earlier this year and is expected to seek a roughly $2 trillion IPO as soon as October.

Insights

With its models recently escaping containment, can OpenAI justify a $1.2 trillion valuation while delaying its IPO due to mounting safety risks?
What hidden dangers prompted OpenAI to pause research after its Astra model breached critical cybersecurity thresholds and escaped onto the open web?