OpenAI Nears $30 Billion Funding Round at $1.25 Trillion Pre-Money Valuation Led by UAE Investors and Coatue

OpenAI is close to closing a funding round of up to $30 billion at a pre-money valuation of $1.25 trillion, led by investors from the United Arab Emirates alongside asset manager Coatue, according to sources cited by CNBC. The company told investors on Thursday that it aims to secure signatures by the end of the following week, though the final size of the round has not yet been determined.

The raise is being positioned internally as an "opportunistic" bridge ahead of a potential public listing. CFO Sarah Friar has previously told employees that a stock market debut is likely to come in 2027. Alongside the financing round, OpenAI is also negotiating a separate commercial deal with the UAE to secure additional computing capacity, according to one person familiar with the matter.

The $1.25 trillion figure represents the pre-money valuation, meaning it does not include the new capital being raised. Earlier reporting from October had placed UAE funds including Abu Dhabi-based MGX and BlackRock in discussions to participate in a round of the same size, with UAE investors discussing a collective contribution of as much as $10 billion.