Technology

OpenAI Employees Can Now Sell Shares As Company Valuation Hits $86 Billion

Published February 17, 2024

OpenAI, the innovative company behind the AI chatbot ChatGPT, has recently completed an agreement granting its employees the opportunity to sell their company shares. This significant development underscores OpenAI's position as a top-tier player in the artificial intelligence sector.

OpenAI's Impressive Valuation

As part of a tender offer reported by Bloomberg, OpenAI has been valued at an impressive $86 billion. This valuation is based on the private selling of shares, which is not uncommon for startups of OpenAI's caliber seeking to reward employees or allow them to liquidate their holdings. Thrive Capital, the venture capital firm led by Josh Kushner, played a central role in leading the deal. However, there have been no official statements from either OpenAI or Thrive Capital regarding the details of these proceedings.

Turbulence and Triumph at OpenAI

The process for employees to sell shares experienced a setback following the temporary removal of OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, in November. With Altman back at the helm and the establishment of a new board of directors, the company seems to be on the right track once again. Moreover, OpenAI is potentially eyeing a new round of funding, which could push its valuation over the $100 billion mark while also looking to procure a significant investment in advanced computing chips to bolster its technological capabilities.

OpenAI's Growth and Innovations

Skating on the success wave of ChatGPT, OpenAI has been at the center of the AI craze in Silicon Valley, becoming one of the quickest growing technology ventures in history. Its burgeoning revenues, exceeding $2 billion in the previous year, demonstrate significant progress and contribute to the company's soaring valuation. Moreover, the AI company has recently made headlines by introducing Sora, an advanced text-to-video model, further showcasing its capacity for innovation.

The Future of OpenAI

OpenAI's success is not solely tied to its financial growth, but also to its potential to disrupt the tech industry. Speculation about OpenAI working on a web search tool that might compete with Google has been rife, hinting at its ambition to transform the technology landscape. The anticipated search tool suggests that OpenAI could become a formidable force in an area where even its investor, Microsoft, has met challenges.

OpenAI, ChatGPT, valuation