Current and former employees of OpenAI are exploring the sale of nearly $6 billion worth of shares to major investors, including SoftBank Group, Thrive Capital, and Dragoneer Investment Group, Reuters reported.

If completed, the deal would value the ChatGPT maker at about $500 billion — a sharp increase from its current $300 billion valuation. The potential sale highlights OpenAI’s rapid growth in users and revenue, as well as the fierce competition among artificial intelligence firms for talent and investment.

SoftBank, Thrive, and Dragoneer, all existing backers of OpenAI, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bloomberg News, which first reported the development, noted the talks are still in early stages and the size of the deal could change.

The move comes alongside SoftBank’s role in leading OpenAI’s \$40 billion primary funding round, further solidifying the Japanese investment group’s position in the AI sector.

Powered by its flagship product, ChatGPT, OpenAI has doubled its revenue in the first seven months of 2025, reaching an annualized run rate of $12 billion. The company is on track to close the year with $20 billion in revenue.

Microsoft-backed OpenAI has also seen explosive user growth, with weekly active users of ChatGPT climbing to about 700 million — up from 400 million in February.

The secondary share sale would give employees and former staff an opportunity to cash in on the company’s soaring valuation, while also signaling growing confidence from investors in OpenAI’s long-term prospects as one of the leading forces in artificial intelligence.