OpenAI eyes $500 billion valuation in secondary share sale to reward talent

OpenAI’s planned secondary share sale is set to run alongside its $30 billion primary fundraising effort, with major investors like SoftBank, Sequoia, and Tiger Global backing the initiative; the latest $8.3 billion round closed oversubscribed

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is reportedly in early talks to launch a multibillion-dollar secondary stock sale that could push its valuation to a staggering $500 billion, marking a major leap from its previous $300 billion estimate.

According to a Bloomberg report, the planned transaction would enable current and former employees to cash out a portion of their equity, amid the company's accelerating growth and global prominence in AI innovation. Venture capital firm Thrive Capital is among the potential investors evaluating participation in the offering.

Retention push amid rapid growth

This development coincides with OpenAI’s ongoing battle to retain top talent in an increasingly competitive AI landscape. Rival firms, including Meta Platforms, have aggressively recruited AI experts, reportedly offering compensation packages as high as $100 million. Despite a few notable exits, OpenAI insiders claim the company has managed to retain its core technical leadership. The secondary sale is seen as both a financial incentive and a strategic move to reinforce staff loyalty.

OpenAI’s user base continues to grow rapidly. The company recently disclosed that ChatGPT now engages over 700 million weekly active users — up from 500 million in March — and handles more than three billion messages daily. The firm is also preparing to launch GPT-5, its next-generation language model, and has introduced two open-source models capable of advanced reasoning.

Funding surge fuels expansion plans

In May, OpenAI made headlines with its $6.5 billion all-stock acquisition of an AI hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. The company anticipates spending up to $8 billion in 2025 to fuel its R&D and enterprise services expansion.

The secondary share sale is expected to run in parallel with OpenAI’s ongoing $30 billion primary fundraising campaign. Investors such as SoftBank, Sequoia Capital, and Tiger Global have already committed substantial funding, with SoftBank’s total exposure reaching $32 billion. The most recent $8.3 billion funding round reportedly closed ahead of schedule and was oversubscribed.

Meanwhile, questions remain around OpenAI’s long-term structure and its relationship with Microsoft, a key investor. With their current agreement expiring in 2030, discussions around intellectual property rights and future collaboration continue to evolve.