Amazon is in talks to invest as much as $50 billion in OpenAI, the company behind the ChatGPT chatbot, according to multiple reports. The potential deal would be part of a much larger fundraising effort that OpenAI has been discussing with investors.
The Wall Street Journal reported Amazon is discussing an investment of up to $50 billion in OpenAI, and Reuters reported that a source confirmed discussions that could reach that level. CNBC also confirmed the talks and said they are being led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, according to a source familiar with the matter.
What’s being discussed
Moneycontrol reported that Amazon is in talks to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI and to expand an agreement that includes Amazon selling computer power to the AI startup. The same report said OpenAI is considering a deal where Amazon would use OpenAI’s AI models in Amazon products and platforms, and that Amazon employees could also access the models for work.
CNBC reported that the terms are still evolving and the final amount could change, but a term sheet could be finalized in the coming weeks, according to its source. Amazon and OpenAI declined to comment in Moneycontrol’s report, and CNBC said an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.
A huge funding round
The Wall Street Journal said OpenAI is seeking up to $100 billion in new capital, and it said the fundraising could value the company at about $830 billion. CNBC similarly reported that OpenAI is exploring fundraising with other investors and that the total round could reach around $100 billion, according to its source.
Moneycontrol reported that if talks lead to an agreement, Amazon could contribute as much as half of a fresh funding round that could total up to $100 billion. It also reported that other parties in talks to contribute include Nvidia and SoftBank, while emphasizing the round is not closed and details could change.
Nvidia and Microsoft also in talks
A separate set of reports describe a broader package of potential investments involving multiple major tech companies. Reuters reported that Nvidia, Amazon, and Microsoft are in talks to invest up to $60 billion in OpenAI, citing a report from The Information.
In that Reuters report, Nvidia was described as considering investing up to $30 billion, Microsoft as looking to invest less than $10 billion, and Amazon as potentially investing more than $10 billion, with estimates that it could exceed $20 billion. Bloomberg also reported these figures and said the planned investments would be part of a major new funding round that could reach as much as $100 billion, citing The Information.
Why Amazon’s interest stands out
CNBC noted that Amazon has invested billions in Anthropic since 2023, which it described as one of OpenAI’s notable competitors. Moneycontrol said an investment of this scale would tighten Amazon’s relationship with OpenAI even as Amazon remains a longtime backer of Anthropic.
CNBC also reported that Amazon and OpenAI have discussed a potential investment since 2023, and that it might include an arrangement involving Amazon’s AI chips, according to prior CNBC reporting cited in its article. Moneycontrol similarly said Bloomberg had previously reported OpenAI was in talks to raise money from Amazon and use Amazon’s chips.
OpenAI’s costs and funding push
Moneycontrol framed the talks as another sign of OpenAI’s scale as a cloud customer and highlighted the company’s large costs to build AI tools, which it said has pushed Altman to seek investments from major technology firms and other backers worldwide. CNBC reported that Altman had been in the United Arab Emirates discussing fundraising with sovereign wealth funds, citing its earlier reporting.
RDWOnline reported that OpenAI has a very high burn rate and said internal projections show $14 billion in losses for 2026 alone, based on its analysis of OpenAI financial documents. The same RDWOnline report said OpenAI expects cumulative losses of $115 billion through 2029 and does not expect profitability until sometime in the 2030s.
What OpenAI is today
CNBC described OpenAI as having been founded in 2015 as a nonprofit research organization and said it drew wide public attention in 2022 with the release of ChatGPT. CNBC also reported that OpenAI has become a major commercial enterprise and said it reached a valuation of $500 billion in October following a secondary share sale.
Moneycontrol reported that the Wall Street Journal said OpenAI is also preparing for an initial public offering in the fourth quarter of 2026.
