OpenAI has become the world’s most valuable private company after employees sold shares at a valuation of $500 billion, overtaking Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The deal marks a sharp increase from OpenAI’s $300 billion valuation in March and reflects surging investor confidence in the company behind ChatGPT. The move also places the Microsoft-backed firm ahead of other high-profile startups, including Stripe and Anthropic.
The valuation leap comes as OpenAI pursues an ambitious $500 billion plan to build new data centers, with Samsung recently agreeing to supply chips for the project.
The rapid rise of AI has also fueled warnings of an overheated market. “If the bubble bursts, the economy will pop with it,” a Reuters finance editor wrote this week.
Meanwhile, Musk’s portfolio — including Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI — briefly pushed his net worth above $500 billion, making him, for a short period, the world’s first “half-trillionaire.”
Despite concerns over sustainability, tech investors are betting demand for generative AI will continue to drive valuations higher, positioning OpenAI at the center of the sector’s expansion.
