# OpenAI in early talks for new funding round that could value it at $1.2 trillion

Digest AI · Business & Funding · published 2026-09-16T13:16:31Z · updated 2026-09-19T03:38:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/openai-investors-propose-1-2-trillion-valuation-for-new-funding-round

## Summary

OpenAI is reportedly in early discussions with major investors about a private funding round that could lift its valuation to roughly $1.2 trillion, according to Reuters. The talks are preliminary, initiated by investors, and the company has not confirmed moving forward. This would represent about a 41% jump from the $852 billion valuation tied to the $122 billion capital commitment secured in March.

The interest stems from rapid adoption of OpenAI’s latest models across consumer subscriptions, enterprise software, developer APIs, and AI infrastructure services, all of which demand massive spending on data centers, chips, energy, and talent. CEO Sam Altman has said OpenAI will not pursue an IPO in 2026, preferring private financing to avoid quarterly pressure. A successful round would give the firm resources to stay ahead of rivals like Anthropic while strengthening the positions of existing backers such as SoftBank, Amazon, Nvidia, and Thrive Capital.

## Key points

- OpenAI is in early discussions for a private funding round that could value the company at roughly $1.2 trillion.
- The proposed valuation would be about 41% higher than the $852 billion valuation from the March $122 billion capital raise.
- Investors such as SoftBank, Amazon, Nvidia and Thrive Capital are reported to be interested, while CEO Sam Altman says no IPO is planned for 2026.

## Why it matters

A $1.2 trillion valuation would cement OpenAI as the most valuable private AI firm, signaling strong investor confidence despite high spending and safety concerns, and could shape funding dynamics for the broader frontier‑AI ecosystem.

## Sources

1. [OpenAI Reportedly Explores New Funding At $1.2 Trillion Valuation](https://pulse2.com/openai-reportedly-explores-new-funding-at-1-2-trillion-valuation) (pulse2.com, 2026-09-16)
2. [OpenAI Forecasts $278 Billion Cash Burn by 2030 as AI Spending Soars](https://coincentral.com/openai-forecasts-278-billion-cash-burn-by-2030-as-ai-spending-soars) (coincentral.com, 2026-09-19)
3. [OpenAI Rules Out 2026 IPO, Citing Safety Obligations – With $122B, Altman Can Afford to Wait](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/openai-rules-2026-ipo-citing-084647647.html) (finance.yahoo.com, 2026-09-19)
4. [OpenAI projects $278B cash burn through 2030 as compute spending surges](https://cryptobriefing.com/openai-projects-278b-cash-burn-through-2030) (cryptobriefing.com, 2026-09-17)
5. [Anthropic eyes IPO despite AI safety warnings](https://hurriyetdailynews.com/anthropic-eyes-ipo-despite-ai-safety-warnings-227015) (hurriyetdailynews.com, 2026-09-17)
6. [OpenAI investors have approached the company about a new funding round](https://cnbc.com/2026/09/16/open-ai-investors-new-funding-round.html) (CNBC Technology, 2026-09-16)
7. [Someone Made A Big Mistake About OpenAI’s $1.5 Trillion Value](https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/09/16/someone-made-a-big-mistake-about-openais-1-5-trillion-value) (247wallst.com, 2026-09-16)

Part of the developing story: [OpenAI IPO Delay Amid Safety Crisis](https://digestai.news/thread/openai-ceo-pushes-ipo-delay-to-1t-valuation) (2 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "OpenAI in early talks for new funding round that could value it at $1.2 trillion", 16 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/openai-investors-propose-1-2-trillion-valuation-for-new-funding-round

---

Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record. Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse
JSON: https://digestai.news/story/openai-investors-propose-1-2-trillion-valuation-for-new-funding-round.json