Startups·23 October 2026·1 min readTechnical readSource-backed

OpenAI Negotiates Massive $30 Billion Funding Round at $1.25 Trillion Valuation Ahead of IPO

Editorial illustration for OpenAI working on new $30B raise at $1.25T valuation ahead of IPO — WireUnwired deterministic editorial visual

WIREUNWIRED BRIEF

OpenAI is closing in on a massive private funding round instead of moving straight to a public stock offering. Sources told CNBC that the artificial intelligence laboratory is negotiating to raise up to $30 billion. The round features a $1.25 trillion pre-money valuation and is led by Coatue alongside investors from the United Arab Emirates.

Bloomberg reported a similar fundraising effort a month prior with a $1.4 trillion valuation. Terms remain under negotiation and could change. CNBC notes that the UAE financial backing might include a separate agreement to supply OpenAI with additional computing capacity. OpenAI declined to comment on the reports. Securing a valuation above $1 trillion would break records as the highest valuation ever recorded for a private company.

This milestone would raise expectations for OpenAI's eventual initial public offering. The creator of ChatGPT filed confidential IPO paperwork in June following a March funding round that valued the company at $852 billion post-money. The high valuation targets could also impact rival firm Anthropic. CNBC reports that Anthropic is aiming for a public debut valuation between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion.

Anthropic raised $65 billion at a $965 billion valuation in May and filed its own confidential IPO paperwork

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TechCrunch

Original author: Julie Bort

Original publication: 23 October 2026 03:38

Read full story on TechCrunch ↗

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STORY TITLE:
OpenAI Negotiates Massive $30 Billion Funding Round at $1.25 Trillion Valuation Ahead of IPO
SOURCE:
TechCrunch
ORIGINAL URL:
https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/22/openai-working-on-new-30b-raise-at-1-25t-valuation-ahead-of-ipo/

SOURCE EXCERPT:
Should OpenAI command an over $1 trillion valuation with this round, it would break records as the mostly highly valued private company ever.

Last updated 23 October 2026 03:54

Original sourceTechCrunch ↗