OpenAI Pursues $30 Billion Funding at $1.25 Trillion Valuation, Setting Private‑Market Record

Funding Round Details and Market Context

OpenAI is close to closing a new mega‑round that could raise as much as $30 billion at a $1.25 trillion pre‑money valuation, according to sources who spoke to CNBC. The financing is expected to be led by Coatue and a group of investors based in the United Arab Emirates. A separate report by Bloomberg a month ago indicated OpenAI was targeting $30 billion at a $1.4 trillion valuation; both outlets note that the final terms remain under negotiation and could shift.

The potential UAE contribution may also include a side agreement to provide OpenAI with additional computing capacity, CNBC added. OpenAI declined to comment on the discussions.

Implications for OpenAI’s IPO and the Broader AI Sector

If the $1.25 trillion valuation is confirmed, OpenAI would become the most valuable private company in history, eclipsing all previous records. The company filed confidential IPO paperwork in June, following a March raise that valued the ChatGPT maker at $852 billion post‑money. A valuation above $1 trillion would set a new benchmark for its eventual public offering and raise expectations for investors.

The heightened valuation could also influence the IPO calculus of OpenAI’s rival Anthropic. Anthropic, which raised $65 billion at a $965 billion valuation in May, is rumored to be preparing its S‑1 filing and is reportedly seeking a $1.5 to $2 trillion valuation for its public debut. Like OpenAI, Anthropic filed confidential IPO documents in June. Analysts suggest that OpenAI’s new valuation could pressure Anthropic to meet or exceed similar lofty expectations in its own offering.

The reported link between OpenAI’s UAE funding and additional computing capacity underscores how critical infrastructure has become in financing negotiations.