OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, is in talks to sell $6 billion in shares owned by its current and former employees to investors, in a deal that would value the artificial intelligence company at roughly $500 billion, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions.

The AI startup is chasing a $500 billion valuation, with backers betting it can become the next Apple or Google. There are reasons for skepticism.

Current and former OpenAI employees plan to sell approximately $6 billion worth of shares to an investor group that includes Thrive Capital, SoftBank Group Corp. and Dragoneer Investment Group, in a deal that values the ChatGPT maker at $500 billion.

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Current and former employees of OpenAI are looking to sell nearly $6 billion worth of the ChatGPT maker's shares to investors including SoftBank Group (9984.T) and Thrive Capital, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

OpenAI is in talks for a $6B employee share sale valuing the ChatGPT maker at $500B, making it the world’s most valuable private company.

GPT-5 was met with lukewarm reception. OpenAI intervened with a personality change. Is that going to be enough?

A young woman took her own life after talking to an ChatGPT-based AI therapist, named Harry. In a devastating opinion piece for the New York Times, her mother, Laura Reiley, detailed the events leading up to Sophie's suicide.

OpenAI reversed the change on Tuesday, allowing the previous model to be accessible by paid users, but the episode illustrates what researchers are calling “AI Psychosis,” where overly-pleasing chatbots exacerbate delusions and create a false sense of romantic love.