OpenAI is actively engaging with investors regarding a potential stock sale that could elevate its valuation to approximately $500 billion. As the company just announced an $8.3 billion tranche. This comes as part of a historic $40 billion funding round, launched in March — an amount that would make it the largest ever raised by a private technology firm.
During this funding round, OpenAI’s valuation soared to a remarkable $300 billion. This massive increase reinforces the incredible power of its widely successful ChatGPT, released in late 2022. The company’s new-found dominance comes from its position as the front-runner in generative artificial intelligence. Perhaps more importantly, it is enormously popular among the technology sector. Reports indicate that ChatGPT is now approaching 700 million weekly active users. This milestone further underscores its wide adoption and profound impact.
On Tuesday, OpenAI announced the release of two new open-weight AI models. These easy-to-adapt models provide accessible options to developers and researchers alike. As a result, we see this release as a strategic first step towards improving accessibility and fostering wider experimentation across the AI community. The release of these models comes just months after the deployment of GPT-2 in 2019, further proof of OpenAI’s sustained dedication to cutting edge advancements.
That’s because OpenAI’s main competitor, Anthropic, is independently chasing its own large funding. They are in negotiations to raise a further $3B-$5B with Iconiq Capital leading discussions. This new possible investment brings Anthropic’s post-money valuation to over $170 billion. That’s a huge increase from its last valuation of $61.5 billion in March.
The AI landscape is changing just as fast. Companies are racing each other for market share and investment dollars in this booming marketplace. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as he did in 2023, made the rounds at the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference in Idaho on July 8, 2025. Conversations in that room probably centered around the future of technology and investments in AI.