OpenAI allows employees to sell shares worth $1.5 billion to SoftBank

Published on January 22, 2025

OpenAI is letting its employees sell shares worth around $1.5 billion to SoftBank, CNBC reported.

The move will allow the Japanese tech conglomerate to increase its stake in the ChatGPT maker, and will provide an opportunity for current and former employees of OpenAI to liquidate their shares, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Employees have until December 24 to decide whether to participate in the newly disclosed tender offer. The deal was reportedly driven by SoftBank's billionaire founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, who pressed for a larger stake in the startup after putting $500 million into OpenAI’s last funding round.

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