Hundreds of OpenAI employees have become overnight millionaires by cashing out a total of $6.6 billion in shares. Around 600 workers sold shares as part of a deal last year that allowed investors to buy stock held by early staff members.
According to the Wall Street Journal, up to 75 staff members sold the maximum number of shares allowed under the deal, walking away with $30 million each. It meant staff payouts averaged about $11 million.
OpenAI requires staff to wait two years until they can cash out their shares. This makes last year’s deal one of the first since the launching of ChatGPT, which popularized the company.
The private share sales in October 2025 valued OpenAI at $500 billion. Since then, the company’s valuation has reached $852 billion after it raised a further $122 billion from investors in March.
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Employees at OpenAI have managed to cash out despite fears of an AI bubble. Technology stocks saw a sharp sell-off between September and October 2025 amid concerns about circular deals and excessive AI spending. Reports have noted the sale shares show how fast wealth is being made in the AI race.
In past tech booms, startup staff often had to wait for an initial public offering before they could sell stock. However, OpenAI staff have been able to translate their shares into cash even though the company remains private.
OpenAI is now reportedly preparing for an IPO that could value the company at more than $1 trillion. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which includes his xAI lab, and Anthropic, the developer of Claude, are also planning IPOs, which could rise above $1 trillion.
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Of late, OpenAI has been engaged in a legal battle with Musk, regarding the company’s decision to shift to a for-profit structure. This dispute began in 2024, with Musk accusing OpenAI, Ceo Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman of abandoning the company’s founding non-profit principles. He argued that OpenAI shifted toward profit and commercial partnerships after receiving early backing tied to public-benefit goals.
OpenAI denies wrongdoing and says Musk was aware of discussions about restructuring before leaving the company.
OpenAI also said that Musk’s lawsuit is motivated by jealousy. President and co-founder Brockman had said he held stock in the business worth about $30 billion as part of the case.
The OpenAI share sale has shown that the AI boom has the potential to create significant wealth. However, concerns remain that this is accessible only by a narrow group of people.