OpenAI Allows Employees to Sell Shares, AI Wealth Effect Begins to Materialize

According to monitoring by Beating, The Wall Street Journal reported that in a recent round of financing, OpenAI allowed each employee to sell shares worth up to $30 million, making them some of the earliest wealth winners in the AI boom. In October last year, over 600 current and former employees collectively sold their shares, cashing out a total of $6.6 billion. According to insiders, about 75 individuals sold the full limit, cashing out $30 million each. Some chose to donate the remaining shares to a Donor-Advised Fund, a type of charitable investment account that allows funds to be used for public good while providing donors with corresponding tax deductions for the year. This share sale offers a glimpse into the massive influx of capital that is set to flow into San Francisco and other tech hubs. OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for a potential IPO in the future, which could become one of the largest IPOs in history. At that time, thousands of ordinary employees from both companies will be able to sell their stocks, with many likely becoming millionaires as a result.