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OpenAI, the mastermind behind ChatGPT, has recently secured a whopping $8.3 billion at an impressive $300 billion valuation, as reported by The New York Times. This monumental deal is just a piece of OpenAI’s ambitious plan to raise a total of $40 billion this year.
### A Game-Changing Investment Round
The highly sought-after funding round happened ahead of schedule, exceeding expectations. Initially, OpenAI had raised $2.5 billion from venture capital firms in March, with the goal of reaching $40 billion through a round led by SoftBank. Surpassing all forecasts, the AI giant managed to secure an additional $7.5 billion sooner than anticipated, showcasing its remarkable growth trajectory.
### Surpassing Milestones
Recent reports from The Information revealed that OpenAI achieved $12 billion in annualized revenue, along with over 700 million ChatGPT weekly active users. The Times even hinted at a staggering $13 billion figure, with projections to hit $20 billion by year-end. With additional support from the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan and potential collaboration with Microsoft, OpenAI is steering towards transforming into a profitable enterprise.
### A Star-Studded Investor Lineup
Leading the recent round is Dragoneer Investment Group, making a bold statement with a massive $2.8 billion investment. Joining the roster of new investors are heavyweights like Blackstone, TPG, and T. Rowe Price, alongside existing players such as Altimeter Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Sequoia Capital. Despite these remarkable achievements, some early investors expressed disappointment over smaller allocations as OpenAI prioritized attracting strategic backers.
TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for further insights into this groundbreaking development.
