Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI Inc., during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025.
Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesOpenAI has finalized a secondary sale totaling $6.6 billion, allowing current and former employees to sell stock at a record $500 billion valuation, according to a person familiar with the transaction.Bloomberg was first to report that the deal had closed.CNBC reported in August that OpenAI was looking to conduct a secondary sale at a valuation of $500 billion, with investors including Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi's MGX, and T.
Rowe Price.While OpenAI had authorized up to $10.3 billion in s for sale — an increase from the original $6 billion target — only two-thirds of that amount ultimately changed hands.The person briefed on internal discussions said that lower participation is being viewed internally as a vote of confidence in the company's long-term spects, and a sign that investor appetite remains strong, even at a $500 billion valuation — up sharply from $300 billion earlier this year.The offer was presented to eligible current and former employees in early September, with participation open to those who had held s for more than two years.The sale marks OpenAI's second major tender offer in less than a year, ing a $1.5 billion deal with SoftBank in November.This transaction cements OpenAI's as the world's most valuable privately held company, surpassing SpaceX's valuation of $456 billion.The sale also comes amid intensifying competition for AI talent.
Meta, in particular, has reportedly offered nine-figure compensation packages in a bid to recruit top reers.OpenAI is among a growing cohort of high-file startups — including SpaceX, Stripe, and Databricks — using secondary sales that allow employees to cash out while staying private.
The move is widely seen as a strategy to retain talent and reward long-term employees without pursuing an IPO.WATCH: OpenAI's $850 billion buildout contends with grid limitswatch now5:2205:22OpenAI’s $850 billion buildout contends with grid limitsPower Lunch