OpenAI is cracking open the exclusive club for the common folk. The ChatGPT creator is giving individual investors access to its stock ahead of a potential IPO — a rare early entry into one of tech’s hottest names. Coming in hot at a $852B valuation, the company has also lined up a deal to include shares in ARK Invest ETFs led by Cathie Wood.
- The valuation follows the close of a $122B funding round, with about $3B of that allocated to retail investors through three major banks.
- Enterprise clients now generate over 40% of OpenAI’s revenue, with CFO Sarah Friar expecting that to reach 50% by year-end as competition with Anthropic intensifies.
The hype clock’s ticking: While the round drew heavyweight backing from Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank among others, OpenAI’s IPO is far from guaranteed. Amazon’s remaining commitment is conditional, including a requirement for a public listing by 2028. And although Nvidia and SoftBank are set to deploy another $10B in July and October, OpenAI may not be able to coast on potential alone.
