The Deep Dive: OpenAI employees have cashed out $3 in company shares

Posted on June 13, 2025 by michelleclarke2015
OpenAI employees have cashed out $3 billion in company shares
Source: ChatGPT 4o
OpenAI employees and former staff have sold nearly $3 billion worth of company shares since 2021, an unusually large amount for a six-year-old startup that has never gone public.
What’s happening: SoftBank bought about $240 million in shares from a small group of current and former OpenAI employees this spring, according to The Information. This brings SoftBank’s total purchases of employee shares to around $1.7 billion since January.
The sales happen through tender offers — organized events where the company allows employees to sell their shares to outside investors. OpenAI has been holding these sales roughly twice a year, with employees able to sell anywhere from $2 million to $10 million worth of shares each time.
Why this matters: Since OpenAI isn’t publicly traded, employees can’t simply sell their stock on the open market like they could at Apple or Microsoft. These organized sales give workers a way to cash out equity compensation without waiting for an initial public offering that may never come.
The participation rates are striking. In August 2021, 90% of eligible employees sold shares at $52 each. By January 2025, about 74% participated at nearly $210 per share.
OpenAI is currently raising $40 billion at a $260 billion valuation, with shares priced at more than $250 each. Employees haven’t yet been able to sell at this new, higher price but likely expect another tender offer soon.
The broader context: This reflects the intense competition for AI talent. Companies like Anthropic and xAI have arranged similar large employee share sales to retain workers who might otherwise jump to competitors offering immediate cash compensation.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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