OpenAI is exploring a potential stock sale that would value the company at $500 billion.

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT , is in the early stages of negotiations for a potential stock sale that would allow current and former employees to sell stakes. This transaction could value the company at approximately $500 billion , which would represent a significant increase from its current valuation of $300 billion.

The transaction would be completed ahead of a potential IPO and would provide liquidity to employees, allowing them to sell shares worth several billion dollars , according to Reuters. The source, who requested anonymity due to private negotiations, said the move reflects OpenAI's sustained growth in users and revenue, as well as the growing market interest in the artificial intelligence sector.

Microsoft -backed OpenAI has seen a surge in its user base, with nearly 700 million weekly active users of ChatGPT, up from 400 million in February. It also doubled its revenue in the first seven months of the year, reaching an annualized rate of $12 billion, with expectations of closing the year at $20 billion.

This share sale follows the $ 40 billion financing round announced earlier this year, led by Japanese group SoftBank, which is expected to contribute $22.5 billion by the end of the year. The remainder of the round is already committed at the previous valuation of $300 billion.

Competition in the artificial intelligence sector remains intense, with major tech companies like Meta offering attractive packages to attract talent. Companies like ByteDance, Databricks, and Ramp have also resorted to private share sales to adjust their valuations and compensate their employees .

Thrive Capital is among the investors reportedly interested in participating in this transaction, although the firm has not commented on the matter. The potential sale was first reported by Bloomberg.

OpenAI, for its part, is working on a corporate restructuring that could involve a change in its current limited-profit model, which would facilitate a potential initial public offering. However, its chief financial officer, Sarah Friar, stated in May that an IPO would only be considered when market and company conditions permit.