OpenAI Seeks $30B Bridge Round Before IPO

OpenAI is negotiating a $30 billion funding round led by UAE investors, with Coatue expected to participate, that would value the company at $1.25 trillion — making it the most valuable private company ever. The round is described as an opportunistic bridge to sustain operations while OpenAI finalizes IPO plans now targeting 2027. This follows a $122 billion raise in March from Amazon, SoftBank, and Nvidia. Separately, OpenAI is discussing a commercial deal with UAE investors for additional compute capacity in the Middle East.