OpenAI financial move
Amid Sora’s shutdown, OpenAI reportedly offered private‑equity firms guaranteed returns to shore up confidence while rivals like Anthropic have been growing enterprise revenue quickly — a sign the enterprise AI race is reshaping funding and strategic bets. The story frames a wider industry shift toward sustainable, revenue‑driven product paths. (benzinga.com)
Reuters reported OpenAI is offering private‑equity firms preferred equity that carries a guaranteed minimum return of 17.5% plus early access to pre‑release models, according to people familiar with the talks on March 23, 2026. (money.usnews.com) Multiple outlets say the planned joint venture would carry a roughly $10 billion pre‑money valuation with about $4 billion of capital coming from PE partners and TPG named as the anchor investor in the discussions. (bloomberg.com) Bloomberg and industry trackers report Anthropic’s enterprise business has accelerated to roughly a $19–20 billion annualized revenue run rate in recent weeks, up from about $9 billion at the end of 2025. (bloomberg.com) OpenAI announced it will discontinue the Sora video app in late March 2026, a decision that also terminated a previously publicized licensing and partnership arrangement with Walt Disney Co. that had been described as a roughly $1 billion deal. (bloomberg.com) The company completed a record $110 billion private funding round at the end of February 2026 that market reporting says valued OpenAI in the roughly $730 billion range, a capital backdrop that industry sources say enables aggressive financial terms in PE negotiations. (bloomberg.com) Sources citing Reuters say some buyout firms remain cautious about the joint‑venture profit profile and downside protections despite the 17.5% floor, with PE players weighing board influence and implementation costs before committing capital. (money.usnews.com)
