OpenAI’s recent secondary share sale, valuing the company at $500 billion, has cemented its position as the world’s most valuable startup. The sale, totalling $6.6 billion, involved current and former employees selling shares to prominent investors such as SoftBank, Thrive Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and T. Rowe Price.
The sale did not bring new capital to OpenAI, but it offered liquidity to employees, allowing them to liquidate some of their holdings while employed.
The company is now valued higher than SpaceX (around $400 billion) and Anthropic (less than $200 billion). This high valuation reflects OpenAI’s importance in the AI field, driven by the release of ChatGPT in 2022 and GPT-5, as well as key collaborations with Oracle, Nvidia, and CoreWeave, which have established them as a major AI company.
How the deal went down
The $6.6 billion transaction was a secondary sale, meaning that OpenAI did not receive new capital. Rather, the transaction provided an avenue for employees to liquidate a portion of their equity to institutional investors.
Secondary sales, common in startups like OpenAI, help retain talent by providing monetary incentives without diluting equity. The inability of employees to sell all available shares may indicate confidence in OpenAI’s future.
Secondary sales offer liquidity in the AI sector, helping firms retain researchers and engineers. By providing OpenAI staff with financial incentives competitive with offers from companies like Google and Meta, these sales reduce the likelihood of talent leaving and secure the company’s workforce without disrupting product development or growth.
Read also: SpaceX, ByteDance, OpenAI lead the world’s most valuable startup in 2025
This deal reflects investor confidence in AI’s growing financial impact. OpenAI’s revenue reached $4.3 billion in the first half of 2025, exceeding its 2024 total, largely driven by ChatGPT subscriptions (e.g., $20 individual plans, $30 team plans). While not yet profitable, OpenAI’s rapid revenue growth and key position in AI have drawn significant global investment.
OpenAI’s growth and global impact
Despite navigating structural changes, including a potential shift to a public benefit corporation amid lawsuits and public scrutiny, OpenAI’s global expansion and the demand for its AI products remain strong, contributing to its $500 billion valuation.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly vital in global business and technology. OpenAI tools like ChatGPT and GPT-5 are commonly used for automation, coding, content creation, and customer service.
AI technologies are vital for productivity and efficiency in businesses worldwide, particularly in Africa. OpenAI’s growth highlights the increasing importance of AI tools for startups, enterprises, and individuals in Nigeria and other African countries, fostering digital transformation, business growth, and improved services in sectors like banking, health, and education.
This transaction reflects broader tech industry trends: the rising prevalence of secondary share sales, allowing employees to access liquidity in high-value startups without affecting company finances, and investors’ willingness to pay high valuations for leading AI companies, anticipating long-term growth and widespread adoption.
What this means for tech users and employees
While the valuation and potential sale of OpenAI shares may not immediately impact operations, it signals the company’s capacity to enhance its capabilities, reliability, and service offerings. Consequently, clients, including those in Africa and other developing countries, can anticipate greater access to advanced AI technology previously limited to large corporations or developed economies.
For employees, the secondary sale focuses on financial upside in rapidly growing technology startups. By allowing employees to sell shares, OpenAI compensates employees for owning shares without sacrificing the company’s direction for innovation. Investors also gain exposure to a company with in-place market traction, subscription recurring revenue, and a dominant position in the fast-changing AI sector.
Similarly, the milestone reports that AI startups have the potential to become the most valuable startups in the world in just a couple of years. It also indicates how well-linked technology markets across the globe are, where investors from all over the globe are investing, and products such as ChatGPT are being used by customers across the world.
OpenAI’s valuation at $500 billion is more than a record for the company; it is a milestone for AI, signalling that the technology has moved from experimental tools to major economic and technological influence. For employees, users, and investors alike, the deal confirms the importance of artificial intelligence in shaping global tech, business strategies, and daily life in the coming years.
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