OpenAI raises $40B, eyes Stargate AI project

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has raised a record-breaking $40 billion in a new funding round — the largest private investment ever recorded in the tech sector. Following the deal, OpenAI’s valuation reached $300 billion, making it the world’s second most valuable private tech company after SpaceX.
 

The lead investor is Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, which pledged up to $30 billion by the end of 2025. An additional $10 billion will come from a consortium including Microsoft, Coatue, Altimeter, and Thrive.
 

However, the full investment is conditional: OpenAI must restructure and issue preferred shares by early 2026. If this condition is not met, SoftBank’s investment will be limited to $10 billion.
 

Focus On AI Development and the Stargate Project

OpenAI plans to use the funding to expand its research in artificial intelligence, scale its computing infrastructure, and develop the Stargate project — a joint initiative between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. The project was introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump on his first day in office as a flagship effort to advance AI infrastructure.
 

The company expects the funding to strengthen its position and accelerate the deployment of new AI solutions. Currently, ChatGPT boasts 500 million weekly users, with numbers continuing to grow.
 

Legal Challenges and Microsoft’s Role

Despite the momentum, OpenAI faces legal complexities. Its current hybrid structure includes a profit cap, which complicates investment. The company must obtain approval from Microsoft and California regulators to transition into a fully commercial entity.
 

Elon Musk has opposed the move and previously filed a lawsuit challenging OpenAI’s structural transformation. Still, CEO Sam Altman remains optimistic, stating, «It’s been only 26 months since ChatGPT launched, and we reached one million users in just five days. In the past hour alone, we added another million.»