In search of investors

OpenAI boss seeks trillions for chip revolution

The AI industry has high hopes for special processors known as neural processing units (NPUs).(Bild: TANATPON - stock.adobe.com)

The head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, is looking for investors for an AI technology initiative. As the Wall Street Journal ("WSJ") reported on Thursday (local time), the company wants to expand its global chip manufacturing capacity and its ability to power artificial intelligence (AI).

Citing a person familiar with the matter, the "WSJ" wrote that between five and seven trillion dollars (up to 6.5 trillion euros) would have to be raised for the project. Altman is said to be in talks with investors from the United Arab Emirates, among others.

OpenAI boss Sam Altman(Bild: AP)

Although investors have valued OpenAI at more than 80 billion dollars, the amounts mentioned are unusually high for corporate fundraising, the newspaper continued. OpenAI and its largest investor Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The two billion dollar turnover mark was reached at OpenAI in December, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with the US company's finances.

The company, whose major shareholder is the technology group Microsoft, expects to more than double this turnover figure in 2025. This should be driven by strong demand from business customers who want to use OpenAI's technology to deploy generative AI tools in the workplace. Neither Microsoft nor Open AI initially commented on this.