(April 1): OpenAI, the artificial intelligence (AI) company behind ChatGPT, said it has finalised a funding round that will bring in US$40 billion (RM177.4 billion) from SoftBank Group Corp and other investors at a US$300 billion valuation, including money raised.

The AI developer’s financing round is the largest of all time, according to data compiled by research firm PitchBook. The deal values the company at almost double its previous valuation of US$157 billion when it raised money in October. Bloomberg reported on March 26 that OpenAI was close to buttoning up the US$40 billion financing deal.

“Hundreds of millions people use ChatGPT each week,” chief executive officer Sam Altman said in a statement on Monday (March 31) about the new funding round. “This investment helps us push the frontier and make AI more useful in everyday life.”

OpenAI is also planning to complete a corporate restructuring by the end of the year that would give its for-profit arm independence from the non-profit that currently governs it, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. 

SoftBank, which is leading the latest funding round, will initially invest US$7.5 billion in the company, along with US$2.5 billion from an investor syndicate, a person familiar with the agreement told Bloomberg. Additional investors in the group include Microsoft Corp, Coatue Management, Altimeter Capital Management and Thrive Capital.

There will be a second tranche of US$30 billion invested by the end of 2025, including US$22.5 billion from SoftBank and US$7.5 billion from a syndicate, Bloomberg reported.

As part of the new deal, OpenAI has an incentive to complete the process of restructuring quickly. If its restructuring isn’t completed by the end of the year, SoftBank would have the option to reduce its total contribution to US$20 billion, from US$30 billion, and OpenAI could seek additional investors to add to that sum, according to the person with knowledge of the situation.

The company expects to more than triple its revenue this year to US$12.7 billion, as subscriptions to consumers and businesses surge, a person familiar with the matter has said. OpenAI said it had one million paid users for the corporate versions of ChatGPT as of September, and has added a US$200-per-month “Pro” plan for access to its most advanced AI models. 

The release of an image generation feature within ChatGPT and the Sora video generation tool have also boosted users, the company’s executives have said in social media posts. 

The ChatGPT launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments I had ever seen, and we added one million users in five days. We added one million users in the last hour. — Sam Altman (@sama) March 31, 2025

In a filing on Monday, SoftBank said its first investment in OpenAI will be financed through Mizuho Bank Ltd, among other financial institutions. 

SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son called AI “a defining force shaping humanity’s future,” in a statement about the deal. “Our expanded partnership with OpenAI accelerates our shared vision to unlock its full potential,” he said.

Other investors including Magnetar Capital and Founders Fund have also been in talks to participate in the round. Magnetar Capital — an Evanston, Illinois-based hedge fund — could contribute as much as US$1 billion, according to multiple people, all of whom asked not to be identified because the information is private.

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy