Private Capital: OpenAI's Path to a $30 Billion Raise
OpenAI is reportedly seeking a massive new round of private funding, a move that would push its valuation past $1 trillion and set a high bar for its eventual public offering.
By Neha Iyer ·
For months, the market has been watching for signs that OpenAI is preparing for its public stock offering, but a new report suggests the company has chosen a different path for now. The company is reportedly in discussions to secure a new round of private funding instead of moving directly to an initial public offering.
According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke with CNBC, the AI lab is working on a round of up to $30 billion. This financing would be led by the investment firm Coatue and investors from the United Arab Emirates. The company declined to comment on the report.
The proposed deal would value OpenAI at $1.25 trillion before this new money is included. This figure is different from a report one month ago by Bloomberg, which stated the company was seeking a $1.4 trillion valuation for the same amount. Both outlets report that the terms are still under negotiation, meaning the final numbers could still change.
If the valuation reaches the reported figure, it would place OpenAI among the most highly valued private companies ever. This level of private funding would also set a very high starting point for its eventual IPO, a process for which the company filed confidential paperwork in June.
That filing came after a funding round in March that valued the ChatGPT maker at $852 billion after the investment. The company's current efforts to raise more private capital could also have an effect on other AI companies planning to go public.
For instance, reports indicate that Anthropic is seeking a valuation between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion for its public debut. Anthropic raised $65 billion in May at a valuation of $965 billion, a round that many at the time expected to be its last major private financing before an IPO.
Both OpenAI and Anthropic filed confidential paperwork for their IPOs in June. The current reports on private funding for OpenAI raise questions about the timing of its public offering and the relationship between private valuations and the price of shares for investors on the public stock market.
It remains to be seen how these private funding talks will be resolved and what the final terms will be for both OpenAI and Anthropic. The situation is still developing as of October 22, 2026.
Source: TechCrunch
