OpenAI has achieved a valuation of $500 billion after selling $6.6 billion in shares held by employees and investors, according to Bloomberg. This sale was not a typical funding round, as the proceeds went directly to individuals rather than the company. The move is seen as a strategy to retain talent, especially after Meta's aggressive recruitment of OpenAI engineers. OpenAI's previous funding round in August raised $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation, with significant investments from firms like SoftBank and T. Rowe Price. The company is also planning to invest $300 billion in Oracle Cloud Services over the next five years, indicating its ambitious infrastructure goals. Despite a cash burn of $2.5 billion, OpenAI reported $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, showcasing its financial viability.