SoftBank's board has greenlit the final $22.5 billion installment of its record-breaking $30 billion commitment to OpenAI, completing what stands as the largest single investor bet in AI history.
This monster investment forms the core of OpenAI's $41 billion funding round that values the ChatGPT maker at $300 billion, positioning it just behind SpaceX as the world's second most valuable private company.
OpenAI Funding Overview
| Round Details | Amount |
|---|---|
| Latest Round | $40 billion (March/April 2025) |
| SoftBank Investment | $30 billion |
| Post-Money Valuation | $300 billion |
| Previous Round | $6.6 billion (Oct 2024) |
| Previous Valuation | $157 billion |
| Total Funding Raised | ~$58-69 billion |
| AICurator Rating | 9.5/10 |
| Investment Tier | Mega-Round |
What Makes OpenAI Worth $300 Billion?
Founded in December 2015 by Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, and Elon Musk, OpenAI started as a nonprofit research lab with a bold mission: ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
Fast forward to 2025, and the San Francisco-based company has transformed into the most dominant force in generative AI. OpenAI's ChatGPT now serves 500 million weekly users.
The company hit $13 billion in annualized revenue by mid-2025, tripling from $4 billion the previous year. This explosive growth explains why investors are racing to get in before a potential public offering.
Why This Deal Reshapes AI Investment?
SoftBank's Masayoshi Son structured this investment as a high-stakes bet on OpenAI's corporate restructuring.
The Japanese conglomerate initially committed $7.5 billion in April 2025, with the remaining $22.5 billion unlocking only after OpenAI converts from a nonprofit to a for-profit Delaware Public Benefit Corporation by December 31, 2025.
This funding isn't just about ChatGPT. Roughly $18 billion will flow into Stargate, the $500 billion AI infrastructure megaproject announced in January 2025. SoftBank and OpenAI are building a nationwide network of data centers to power the next generation of AI models.
The investment syndicate includes Microsoft, Coatue, Altimeter, and Thrive Capital, contributing approximately $11 billion combined.
SoftBank has essentially replaced Microsoft as OpenAI's primary financial partner, though Microsoft retains significant influence through earlier investments and Azure cloud infrastructure deals.
Critical Questions About the Round
Who are the lead investors?
SoftBank leads with $30 billion, while Microsoft, Thrive Capital, Coatue, and Altimeter contributed the remaining $11 billion of the $41 billion total.
What happens if restructuring fails?
If OpenAI doesn't complete its for-profit conversion by year-end, SoftBank's total investment could drop to as low as $20 billion, with other investors potentially requesting refunds.
How will OpenAI use the capital?
Primary allocation goes toward AI research, compute infrastructure scaling, and the Stargate project buildout.
What's Next?
OpenAI faces a December 2025 deadline to finalize its corporate restructuring and satisfy the funding conditions.
Successfully completing this transition would clear the path for a potential IPO in 2026, though the company hasn't confirmed public offering plans.
The company must also navigate leadership stability concerns after recent executive departures and manage investor expectations around achieving artificial general intelligence.
With SoftBank's massive bet now official, OpenAI has the capital firepower to maintain its lead in the AI race—but execution pressure has never been higher.
Connect with OpenAI
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Website | openai.com |
| linkedin.com/company/openai | |
| Twitter/X | twitter.com/OpenAI |
| GitHub | github.com/openai |
