OpenAI raises $8.3 billion as paid ChatGPT business users reach 5 million
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OpenAI's competition with Anthropic and other AI model makers is driving record investor demand.
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August 1, 2025
03:06 PM
CNBC
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Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI attends the annual Allen and Co
Sun Valley Media and nology Conference at the Sun Valley Re in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., on July 8, 2025
Grogan | CNBCOpenAI has secured $8.3 billion in new capital as part of its $40 billion fundraise, according to a person familiar with the transaction
The fresh capital comes as the artificial intelligence company's accelerates
Annual recurring revenue jumped to $13 billion, up from $10 billion in June, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential financial information, and is jected to top $20 billion by year-end
Paid users of ChatGPT have climbed to five million from three million just months ago, they said
The round was ahead of schedule and was five times overd.DealBook was first to report the transaction.The raise underscores surging investor appetite for AI platforms as competition intensifies among leading model makers.Dragoneer Investment Group contributed $2.8 billion to the round, the person said, joining Blackstone, TPG, T
Rowe Price, Fidelity, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Altimeter, D1 Capital, Tiger Global, and Thrive Capital
While Dragoneer was the largest investor in this tranche of funding, SoftBank remains the lead backer of the broader $40 billion fundraising effort.Read more CNBC newsTesla Autopilot plaintiffs seek $345 million in damages over fatal crash in FloridaFacing questions on AI strategy, Tim Cook says Apple is 'very open' to acquisitionsFigma's top VCs are sitting on $24 billion worth of stock after massive IPO popAmazon's gloomy earnings forecast overshadows better-than-expected resultsRivals are also raising massive sums
Anthropic, one of OpenAI's chief competitors, is in talks to secure between $3 billion and $5 billion in new funding led by Iconiq Capital at a potential $170 billion valuation, CNBC confirmed
That s a $3.5 billion round in March that valued the startup at $61.5 billion.Both OpenAI and Anthropic are courting Middle Eastern capital to finance their ambitions.Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently signaled a willingness to reverse his previous stance against Gulf sovereign wealth funds, warning in a leaked memo d with Wired that it's become "substantially harder to stay on the frontier" of AI development without tapping that money
OpenAI, meanwhile, is working with Emirati firm G42 to build a massive data center in Abu Dhabi.WATCH: Anthropic to be valued at $170B in Iconiq-led fundingwatch now0:4900:49Anthropic to be valued at $170B in Iconiq-led fundingHalftime Report
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