OpenAI is arranging a secondary share sale of about $6 billion that would value the developer of ChatGPT at roughly $500 billion, according to multiple reports circulating on 17 August. The deal, expected to involve the sale of stock held by current and former employees, would lift the company’s valuation from the $300 billion level cited earlier this year and place it among the world’s most highly valued privately held technology firms. SoftBank Group, Thrive Capital and Dragoneer Investment Group are understood to be leading the purchase, providing liquidity for staff while expanding their exposure to one of the fastest-growing names in artificial intelligence. The proposed transaction does not involve issuing new shares but would give OpenAI additional financial flexibility as it seeks to maintain its rapid pace of product development and market expansion. Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman has recently said the company is prepared to deploy unprecedented sums to build AI infrastructure, signalling the need for sizeable, long-term funding sources. A $500 billion valuation would underscore investor confidence in OpenAI’s ability to stay at the forefront of generative-AI innovation amid intensifying competition from major technology groups.