OpenAI is reportedly working on raising up to $30 billion at a $1.25 trillion pre-money valuation, according to sources cited by CNBC — a round that would make it the most valuable private company in history. The deal, led by Coatue and investors in the UAE, would come just months before the AI lab’s expected IPO.
OpenAI logo (Credits: TechCrunch)
Why OpenAI’s $30 Billion Raise Matters
This isn’t the first time these numbers have surfaced. Bloomberg reported a month ago that OpenAI was working on a $30 billion raise at a $1.4 trillion valuation — the current figures suggest terms are still being negotiated and could change. CNBC also reports the UAE investment could be paired with a deal securing more computing capacity for OpenAI, a crucial detail as the AI arms race increasingly comes down to raw compute.
The timing is notable. OpenAI filed confidential IPO paperwork in June, following a March raise that valued the ChatGPT maker at $852 billion post-money. A $1.25 trillion private valuation would raise the bar even higher for that eventual public debut — and it puts pressure on rivals like Anthropic, which is also eyeing an IPO and is reportedly seeking a $1.5 to $2 trillion public valuation after raising $65 billion at a $965 billion valuation in May.
What the Mega-Round Says About the AI Boom
Rather than rushing to the public markets, OpenAI is opting for one more colossal private round — a sign that deep-pocketed investors still can’t get enough exposure to the AI leader. With both OpenAI and Anthropic filing confidentially and rumors suggesting Anthropic’s public S-1 could drop any day, the next few months will decide which AI giant goes public first — and at what unprecedented valuation. OpenAI declined comment on the reports.
Also Read: Uber Rolls Out ChatGPT Work to All 30,000 Employees in Major OpenAI Expansion
Source: TechCrunch — read the full story there.
