Microsoft keeps non‑exclusive OpenAI rights

OpenAI and Microsoft rewrote their partnership on April 27, ending Microsoft’s exclusive OpenAI license but keeping Microsoft’s access to OpenAI models and products through 2032. (openai.com) (microsoft.com) The companies said Microsoft’s license is now non-exclusive, Microsoft will no longer pay a revenue share to OpenAI, and OpenAI will keep paying Microsoft through 2030 at the same percentage, subject to a total cap. (openai.com) (microsoft.com) Microsoft remains OpenAI’s primary cloud provider under the amended deal, and OpenAI products will still launch first on Microsoft Azure unless Microsoft agrees otherwise. (openai.com) (cnbc.com) At the same time, OpenAI can now serve all of its products across other cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud, instead of being tied only to Azure. (cnbc.com) (openai.com) That is a sharp change from February 27, when the companies said Microsoft still had an exclusive license and that their commercial and revenue-share relationship was unchanged. (openai.com) (microsoft.com) Microsoft said it still participates directly in OpenAI’s growth as a major shareholder, preserving its financial stake even as exclusivity falls away. CNBC reported Microsoft has invested more than $13 billion in OpenAI since 2019. (microsoft.com) (cnbc.com) The companies framed the rewrite as a simplification after OpenAI’s restructuring in October 2025, when they signed a broader agreement for the next phase of the partnership. (cnbc.com) (openai.com) OpenAI’s news page also showed a separate April 28 announcement that its models, Codex, and Managed Agents are coming to Amazon Web Services, underscoring how the new terms open room beyond Azure. (openai.com) The revised deal keeps Microsoft deeply inside OpenAI’s business, but it no longer keeps OpenAI’s technology and distribution inside a single cloud. (openai.com) (microsoft.com)