OpenAI, the rush to buy shares: up to $30 million for some employees

This is a typical Silicon Valley scene, artificial intelligence style: at OpenAI, a privately held company but a global star since ChatGPT, employees were able to sell some of their shares to private investors and pocket staggering sums. By the end of 2025, approximately 600 employees had reportedly sold $6,6 billion worth of shares in a transaction involving, among others, Thrive Capital and SoftBank, averaging $11 million per seller.

According to reports in the American press, some 75 employees may have received as much as $30 million each. Some are said to have sold or donated a portion of their shares to philanthropic organizations, potentially benefiting from tax advantages—a common practice in these circles where tax optimization often masks worthy causes.

Stock options, record valuations, and the Musk trial: the OpenAI cocktail

At the top, the valuation trajectory is dizzying and explains this frenzy: OpenAI reportedly reached $500 billion during the 2025 valuation round before climbing even further, to a valuation of $852 billion after a funding round in March. In this context, the battle for public image is never far away. Greg Brockman, co-founder and chairman, stated that he holds 3,5% of the company's capital, a stake granted in 2018 that, according to the figures cited, represents tens of billions of dollars, without any cash investment from him.

And then there's Elon Musk, the co-founder turned adversary with his AI "Grok," who accuses OpenAI of having abandoned its original non-profit mission—an accusation disputed by management. When a company concentrates so much money, technological power, and rivalries, what follows is less like a smooth ride and more like an open-air game of chess.