OpenAI just raised another $40 billion round led by SoftBank
VergeMAR 17
OpenAI Secures Record $40B Funding
Above: SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son (L) shakes hands with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (R) after a discussion in Tokyo on Feb. 3, 2025. Image copyright: Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The recent announcement of $40 billion in investment is a major coup for OpenAI. With this funding, the organization will be able to continue pushing the boundaries of AI research, maintain its lead over its competitors, and keep developing the most powerful models and tools for its customers.
Narrative B
Monday's announcement marks the day OpenAI sold its soul. By committing to an even earlier transition to a for-profit model, OpenAI has betrayed its core values and mission to ensure AI “benefits all of humanity” in order to pursue corporate interests, to which they are now irrevocably tied.