OpenAI's CFO confirms fundraising talks that would value it near $1.25T

OpenAI's finance chief has gone on the record: fundraising talks are live, and they point to a valuation of about $1.25 trillion. That's nearly 50% higher than the $852 billion the company was worth in its March round, according to a CNBC interview with the CFO. The company has also confidentially filed for an IPO.

Here's the twist — the amount OpenAI actually wants to raise has been trimmed, even as the sticker price on the whole company climbs. A smaller raise at a bigger valuation tells you investors are being asked to pay more for a thinner slice. Talks are still ongoing, so nothing is signed.

The jump would set a fresh benchmark for private AI valuations, and it lands just as OpenAI takes the first formal steps toward a public listing. A confidential IPO filing keeps the numbers under wraps for now, but it signals the company is serious about testing the public markets.

All eyes now turn to the SEC paperwork. Confirmation of a formal IPO valuation target, or an underwriter range near that reported $1.25 trillion, would sharpen market expectations in a hurry. Any public peek at OpenAI's financials or new strategic partnerships would do the same.

For now, the number is a talking point, not a ticker. But when the CFO of the most-watched AI company says talks are underway at $1.25 trillion, the market listens.