OpenAI valuation explained: $1.25 trillion, a smaller round and who owns the company

OpenAI is valued at $1.25 trillion (about ₹117.6 lakh crore) after raising $11 billion in the first part of a new funding round, Bloomberg reported on 6 November 2026. The round has not closed yet and could reach about $20 billion in total 1.

The new OpenAI valuation makes the ChatGPT maker one of the most valuable private companies in history, but it is lower than the company first aimed for. In late September, Bloomberg reported that OpenAI wanted to raise $30 billion at a $1.4 trillion valuation 1. Rupee figures use ₹94.05 to the dollar, the rate on 7 November 2026.

OpenAI valuation in numbers

Date	Event	Valuation
28 October 2025	Recapitalisation into OpenAI Group PBC; Microsoft’s 27% stake valued at about $135 billion 2	About $500 billion implied
March 2026	$122 billion funding round 3	$852 billion (about ₹80.1 lakh crore)
Late September 2026	Target reported: $30 billion 1	$1.4 trillion sought
6 November 2026	$11 billion raised so far 1	$1.25 trillion

That is a rise of about 47% in roughly eight months, from $852 billion to $1.25 trillion, even after the company settled for less than it first wanted.

Why OpenAI settled for a lower valuation

The funding came during a difficult week for AI shares. TechCrunch reported that the market was jittery after the Democratic landslide in the US midterm elections and strongly negative voter sentiment around data centres, with many investors expecting tougher regulation 1. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell sharply on 5 November.

The pressure is not limited to OpenAI. Hours before the OpenAI report, Bloomberg said some potential buyers in the planned listing of rival Anthropic believed its valuation could be as low as $1.1 trillion, compared with the roughly $2 trillion investors were said to expect a month earlier 1.

Who owns OpenAI?

OpenAI’s ownership has two layers: who controls the company and who owns its economic value. At the recapitalisation on 28 October 2025, the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation held 26% of the for-profit OpenAI Group PBC, Microsoft held about 27%, and current and former employees and investors held the remaining 47% 3.

• OpenAI Foundation (26% at recapitalisation): appoints the board, so it controls the company even though Microsoft owns a slightly larger stake 3.
• Microsoft (about 27%): the largest single shareholder by economic stake. Its holding was valued at about $135 billion when the recapitalisation closed 2.
• Employees and investors (47%): includes OpenAI staff, former staff and outside backers. OpenAI has not published a detailed breakdown of this group 3.

These percentages are a starting point, not today’s exact split. The $122 billion round in March 2026 diluted all three groups, and the current round will dilute them again 3. OpenAI has not published an updated shareholder table.

What the valuation means for OpenAI’s founders

The trillion-dollar figure creates very uneven personal fortunes. Chief executive Sam Altman owns no OpenAI shares, so the new valuation does not change his estimated $3.3 billion net worth, as we explain in Sam Altman’s net worth. President Greg Brockman, by contrast, holds equity and debuted on the 2026 Forbes 400 with about $25.5 billion (about ₹2.4 lakh crore) 4.

At $1.25 trillion, every 1% of OpenAI is worth about $12.5 billion (about ₹1.18 lakh crore). That is why employee and early-investor stakes in AI labs now produce fortunes that rival those of the founders in our list of the richest people in the world.

Is OpenAI going public?

OpenAI had previously suggested it might list in 2026 but delayed those plans. It is now expected to go public at some point in 2027, according to reports of comments by Brockman 1. A listing would give OpenAI a daily market price for the first time, which would make the wealth of its shareholders easier to track and far more volatile, as SpaceX shareholders have seen since its Nasdaq debut.

How OpenAI compares with other trillion-dollar companies

At $1.25 trillion, OpenAI’s private valuation is in the same range as some of the world’s largest listed technology companies, though without public shares or audited quarterly results. Its main backer Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and rival Anthropic are all central to the AI boom covered on our artificial intelligence hub. Full company details, funding history and leadership are on the OpenAI company profile.

Sources

[1] TechCrunch, OpenAI reportedly raises an additional $11 billion at a $1.25 trillion valuation, 6 November 2026, citing Bloomberg. [2] Sherwood News, OpenAI completes its restructuring, October 2025. [3] Everything PR, Who owns OpenAI, 3 November 2026. [4] 36Kr, report on the 2026 Forbes 400.

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