You’ve probably used ChatGPT and wondered how you could invest in OpenAI. With over 500 million weekly users by mid-2025, you’re not alone in wanting a piece of this AI revolution. While you can’t buy OpenAI stock directly, there are several smart ways you can still profit from their success.
Why You Can’t Buy OpenAI Stock Yet
Here’s the reality: OpenAI isn’t going public anytime soon. The company operates as a non-profit controlling a for-profit arm, which makes traditional IPOs complicated. They considered restructuring to go public but decided against it.
Even if they wanted to go public, they don’t need to. OpenAI just raised $40 billion in early 2025 at a $300 billion valuation, the biggest private tech funding round ever. With investors like SoftBank and Microsoft writing massive checks, why would they deal with public market pressures? CEO Sam Altman has even said that public investors might not understand their long-term AGI decisions.
Your Best Investment Options
If you’re an accredited investor, you might find limited shares on secondary markets like EquityBee, but availability is spotty. For everyone else, the Fundrise Innovation Fund offers OpenAI exposure starting at just $10.
However, your best bet is investing in companies that are deeply tied to OpenAI’s success.
Microsoft is your strongest play. Think about it: Microsoft has invested around $11 billion in OpenAI since 2019. They get 75% of OpenAI’s profits until they recover their investment, then own 49% of the company. That’s like having a golden ticket to OpenAI’s success without actually owning OpenAI stock.
You see Microsoft’s OpenAI integration everywhere. When you use Bing search, that’s GPT-4 working behind the scenes. If you’ve tried Copilot in Word or Excel, you’re experiencing OpenAI technology through Microsoft’s ecosystem. Azure hosts all of OpenAI’s services exclusively. Microsoft essentially wins whenever OpenAI wins, plus you get exposure to their cloud business, gaming, and other tech ventures.
Meta Platforms gives you social media AI exposure. Meta is betting billions on AI across their platforms. Their Meta AI chatbot is approaching one billion users, and those Ray-Ban smart glasses you’ve seen? That’s Meta integrating AI into wearables. They just launched Meta Superintelligence Labs in mid-2025, aiming to build “personal superintelligence for everyone.” When you own Meta, you’re investing in AI reaching billions of people daily.
NVIDIA powers the entire AI infrastructure. Even though NVIDIA doesn’t directly invest in OpenAI, every AI company needs their chips. NVIDIA’s revenue jumped 69% to $44.1 billion in Q1 2026, with data center sales up 73%. Their Blackwell supercomputers are in production worldwide. When AI grows, NVIDIA grows, regardless of whether OpenAI or their competitors win.
What You Need to Know About Profitability
OpenAI isn’t profitable yet, but don’t let that scare you. They’re burning cash to build the future, and their revenue doubled from $5.5 billion in December 2024 to $10 billion by June 2025. With $40 billion in fresh funding, they can afford to prioritize development over profits.
McKinsey predicts generative AI could create $4.4 trillion in annual economic value. That’s bigger than most countries’ entire economies. You’re not just investing in a chatbot; you’re investing in a technology that could reshape everything.
Additional Opportunities You Should Consider
You might also look at Salesforce, which partnered with OpenAI to create Einstein GPT for customer management. Atlassian integrated OpenAI into their collaboration tools. These companies show you how AI is spreading beyond the obvious players.
If picking individual stocks feels overwhelming, consider AI-focused ETFs like Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence, ROBO Global Robotics, or First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence. These funds spread your risk across multiple AI companies.
Your Investment Strategy
Start with Microsoft if you want the closest thing to owning OpenAI directly. Their partnership runs deep, and you get downside protection from their diversified business. If you’re feeling more aggressive, add NVIDIA for infrastructure exposure and Meta for social media AI integration.
Remember, current AI stock prices already expect massive growth. Consider dollar-cost averaging instead of putting all your money in at once. The AI revolution is real, but timing the market is still impossible.
You’re investing in a transformation that’s just beginning. While you can’t own OpenAI directly, you can absolutely profit from the AI wave they’ve created. Choose your positions carefully, stay diversified, and prepare for a wild ride as artificial intelligence reshapes the world.
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How You Can Invest in OpenAI in 2025
You've probably used ChatGPT and wondered how you could invest in OpenAI. With over 500 million weekly users by mid-2025, you're not alone in wanting a piece of this AI revolution. While you can't buy OpenAI stock directly, there are several smart ways you can still profit from their success. Why You Can't Buy OpenAI Stock Yet Here's the reality: OpenAI isn't going public anytime soon. The company operates as a non-profit controlling a for-profit arm, which makes traditional IPOs complicated. They considered restructuring to go public but decided against it. Even if they wanted to go public, they don't need to. OpenAI just raised $40 billion in early 2025 at a $300 billion valuation, the biggest private tech funding round ever. With investors like SoftBank and Microsoft writing massive checks, why would they deal with public market pressures? CEO […]
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