OpenAI has announced a massive $110 billion funding round, valuing the ChatGPT maker at an estimated $840 billion, underscoring the extraordinary surge in global investment in artificial intelligence.
The blockbuster round includes:
- $30 billion from SoftBank Group
- $30 billion from Nvidia
- $50 billion from Amazon
The fundraising comes ahead of OpenAI’s anticipated mega IPO later this year.
Amazon Deal: $50 Billion and 2 GW Compute Commitment
Amazon will initially invest $15 billion, followed by an additional $35 billion subject to certain conditions being met.
As part of the agreement:
- OpenAI will utilize 2 gigawatts of computing capacity powered by Amazon’s in-house Trainium chips.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) will become the exclusive third-party cloud provider for OpenAI Frontier its enterprise platform for building and deploying AI agents.
Microsoft Relationship Remains Intact
Despite Amazon’s expanded partnership, OpenAI confirmed that its relationship with Microsoft remains unchanged.
- Microsoft Azure will continue as the exclusive cloud provider for OpenAI’s APIs.
- OpenAI’s first-party products will remain hosted on Azure.
- Microsoft retains exclusive licensing and access to OpenAI’s intellectual property across models and products.
Nvidia’s Role
It remains unclear whether Nvidia’s $30 billion investment replaces or supplements its previously announced commitment in September to invest up to $100 billion. Both companies have yet to clarify details.
AI Investment Race Intensifies
The funding highlights the aggressive push by Big Tech and global investors to secure strategic AI partnerships. OpenAI, which is heavily expanding data center capacity, sits at the center of this competition as companies seek to lock in infrastructure access, silicon partnerships, and long-term AI deployment advantages.
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