OpenAI Closes $110B Funding Round at $840B Valuation, Largest Startup Raise on Record

HEADLINE: OpenAI Closes $110B Funding Round at $840B Valuation, Largest Startup Raise on Record

LEAD: OpenAI has closed a $110 billion funding round from Amazon, NVIDIA, and SoftBank, valuing the AI company at $840 billion post-money—the largest fundraise in startup history, according to the company's announcement on February 26-27.

BODY: The round, which had been in discussion since December, comes as OpenAI navigates positioning with the Department of War while competitor Anthropic has refused similar terms. The company disclosed new user metrics alongside the close: weekly Codex users have more than tripled since the start of the year to 1.6 million, up from 1 million as of February 4. OpenAI also reported more than 9 million paying business users now rely on ChatGPT for work.

IMPLICATION FOR FINANCE LEADERS: The valuation underscores AI infrastructure's centrality to enterprise strategy. CFOs evaluating AI vendor lock-in and cost structures should note OpenAI's expanding commercial user base and the capital intensity required to compete at scale.

WATCH: How the funding translates to product roadmap changes and pricing adjustments for enterprise customers.