Part of Amazon’s funding depends on OpenAI going public or achieving advanced AI breakthroughs
ChatGPT maker OpenAI has raised a record $122 billion from investors, valuing the company at $852 billion and marking its largest-ever funding round, highlighting growing global demand for artificial intelligence.
Major backers include Amazon, which committed $50 billion, and Nvidia and SoftBank, each investing $30 billion. Other top investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and TPG.
However, around $35 billion of Amazon’s funding depends on OpenAI going public or achieving breakthroughs in advanced AI.
OpenAI plans to use the funds to expand data centers, secure chips, and hire talent. It currently generates about $2 billion in monthly revenue, with enterprise customers contributing 40%.
It has also piloted ads in ChatGPT, which CEO Sam Altman once said would be the “last resort” for monetization. The advertisements have reportedly generated $100 million in annualized revenue within the first six weeks.