Krux
February 20, 2026
OpenAI Nears $100B Funding at $850B Valuation
Published: February 20, 2026 at 12:56 AM
Updated: February 20, 2026 at 12:56 AM
100-word summary
OpenAI is reportedly finalizing a massive funding round exceeding $100 billion, pushing its valuation past $850 billion. The first phase brings in tech giants: Amazon ($50B), SoftBank ($30B), Nvidia ($20B), and Microsoft. Think of this as OpenAI securing enough cash to build supercomputers that power ChatGPT and future AI tools at massive scale. More investors, including VC firms and sovereign wealth funds, are expected to join later phases. To boost profitability, OpenAI is testing ads in ChatGPT for free users. This deal cements OpenAI as the most valuable AI startup, signaling an arms race for AI dominance among tech titans.
What happened
OpenAI is reportedly finalizing a massive funding round exceeding $100 billion, pushing its valuation past $850 billion. The first phase brings in tech giants: Amazon ($50B), SoftBank ($30B), Nvidia ($20B), and Microsoft. Think of this as OpenAI securing enough cash to build supercomputers that power ChatGPT and future AI tools at massive scale. More investors, including VC firms and sovereign wealth funds, are expected to join later phases. To boost profitability, OpenAI is testing ads in ChatGPT for free users.
Why it matters
This deal cements OpenAI as the most valuable AI startup, signaling an arms race for AI dominance among tech titans.