Financial freedom? OpenAI employees sell off $6.6 billion worth of shares, averaging a cool $11 million each.

OpenAI Facilitates $6.6 Billion Internal Equity Transaction, Over 600 Employees Convert Holdings to Cash. The Company Raises the Sale Cap to $30 Million to Meet Strong Market Demand.

OpenAI Conducted a Large-Scale Internal Equity Transaction in October 2025. According to reports, more than 600 current and former employees converted holdings worth $6.6 billion into cash before the company’s initial public offering (IPO). However, amid widespread optimism about the AI industry’s growth prospects, the decision by internal employees to undertake a large-scale sale at this moment has also sparked market concerns regarding liquidity of tech company equity and employees’ asset allocation strategies.

OpenAI Over 600 Current and Former Employees Divest $6.6 Billion in Shares

According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI facilitated a total internal stock transaction totaling $6.6 billion in October 2025. More than 600 current and former employees participated in this sale, with an average transaction amount of about $11 million per person. Among them, approximately 75 employees sold shares up to the company’s maximum limit, which is $30 million per person.

According to OpenAI’s internal regulations, employees are eligible to sell shares after two years of employment, giving many employees who joined after the launch of ChatGPT their first opportunity to divest company equity.

OpenAI Raises Equity Sale Cap

This equity transaction was conducted through a tender offer. Due to strong external market demand for unlisted OpenAI shares, the company increased the maximum sale limit for employees from the original $10 million to $30 million.

Early Exit: Hedging Risks or Locking in Profits?

Although OpenAI and the overall AI industry’s future development are widely anticipated by the market, employees’ selling behavior reflects other financial considerations. Do OpenAI employees lack confidence in the company’s future stock appreciation, or do they have more risk expectations regarding the post-IPO price trend? However, OpenAI has already set the highest stock-based compensation in the history of tech startups, and this financial plan allows these employees to gain early control over tangible financial autonomy amid the wave of AI’s rise.

• This article is reprinted with permission from: 《Chain News》
• Original title: 《OpenAI Employees Sell $6.6 Billion in Shares, Averaging $11 Million Profit per Person》
• Original author: Co2