OpenAI raises 6.6 billion USD at a 157 billion USD valuation

2024-10-02 · Publisher : OpenAI · Domain : Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI closes a 6.6 billion USD round valuing it at 157 billion USD, one of the largest ever raised by a private company. The money is to fund research and computing power.

On October 2, 2024, OpenAI announced it had raised 6.6 billion USD at a post-money valuation of 157 billion USD. The round, among the largest ever for a private company, came as the company was preparing its conversion into a for-profit company and its compute needs were soaring. ### What happened - Thrive Capital led the round with about 1.3 billion USD, along with an option to invest more at the same price. - Microsoft, the largest shareholder, invested again; Nvidia, SoftBank, Khosla Ventures, Altimeter Capital, Fidelity and the Emirati fund MGX took part. - OpenAI said the funds would go toward frontier AI research, expanding its computing capacity and building tools. - On October 3, the company added a 4 billion USD revolving credit line, bringing its available liquidity above 10 billion USD. ### Key figures | Item | Value | |---|---| | Amount raised | 6.6 billion USD | | Post-money valuation | 157 billion USD | | Lead investor | Thrive Capital (about 1.3 billion USD) | | ChatGPT weekly users | more than 250 million | | Credit line (October 3) | 4 billion USD | ### Why it is a turning point The round confirmed that the race for frontier models is played with sums once reserved for large listed companies. It also tied OpenAI's future to its restructuring: according to the press, investors could claw back their money if the conversion into a for-profit company did not happen within two years. That transformation was completed in October 2025 with the creation of a public benefit corporation still controlled by the foundation. ### Caveats The company remained deeply loss-making, with compute costs growing faster than revenue. A large share of the funds flows back to cloud and chip suppliers, some of which are among the investors, fueling questions about the circularity of financial flows in the sector. ### Key takeaways At a 157 billion USD valuation, OpenAI became one of the most valuable private companies in the world. Frontier generative AI established itself as a highly capital-intensive industry.

Tags : IA, Financement, OpenAI, Calcul