OpenAI Seeks About $30B Round at $1.4T+ Valuation Before Anthropic

OpenAI is reportedly moving to speed up a funding round of about $30 billion, with existing backers in talks to join. The timing is tied to Anthropic’s planned IPO, according to today’s reports.

Key points

• OpenAI is seeking roughly $30 billion in new funding, per Business Standard and GuruFocus.
• SoftBank Group, Abu Dhabi-based MGX and other existing backers are in talks to participate.
• GuruFocus reports the target valuation exceeds $1.4 trillion.
• The push is described as strategically timed against Anthropic’s planned IPO.
• Separately, a court has ordered detention of a former OpenAI engineer in a workplace recording-device case.

What is OpenAI reportedly raising, and from whom?

The two reports agree on the core figure: about $30 billion. Business Standard says SoftBank Group, MGX and other existing investors are in talks to join the round. That points to an insider-heavy raise rather than a broad new investor base, though the sources provided do not give allocations or commitments.

GuruFocus adds that OpenAI is aiming for a valuation above $1.4 trillion. The summaries we have do not say whether that is a pre-money or post-money figure, and neither confirms terms, closing dates or final size. Talks can change, so the numbers should be treated as reported targets, not a completed deal.

Why does Anthropic’s IPO matter here?

Both reports frame the acceleration around Anthropic’s planned IPO. The logic described is competitive timing: securing capital before a rival reaches public markets. The sources provided do not specify Anthropic’s timetable, size or valuation, so we cannot say how close that listing is. Nor do they say whether OpenAI has set its own IPO date.

For investors watching OpenAI’s path to a listing, the main takeaway is that private capital is still being used to bridge toward any public offering. A large private round at a valuation above $1.4 trillion would also set a reference point for any later public pricing, though that is an inference, not something the sources state.

Separate item: detention in the former engineer case

A U.S. court on Monday granted the government’s request to detain Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former OpenAI engineer accused of planting a recording device in an executive conference room at the San Francisco office, per The Hacker News. EconoTimes reports the judge denied bail despite a $1 million asset pledge and an offer of Saudi consular backing for a bond. Prosecutors cited his travel plans and his family’s departure after his arrest as flight risk concerns.

The new development is the detention ruling. These are allegations in an ongoing case, and the sources do not indicate any effect on OpenAI’s operations or fundraising.

What to watch

• Whether SoftBank, MGX or others confirm participation and size.
• Any clarification of the valuation basis and closing timeline.
• Further details on Anthropic’s IPO schedule.

This is not investment advice. This site is independent and not affiliated with OpenAI.