AIster · The agentic age · M&A & deals
OpenAI restructures as a public benefit corporation
The end of OpenAI's capped-profit structure, and a reset of its Microsoft partnership
Key facts
- Date
- 28 Oct 2025
- Era
- The agentic age
- Interest
- M&A & deals
- Threads
- Labs & people
- Ownership
- OpenAI Foundation 26%; Microsoft about 27%; investors and employees 47%
- Microsoft terms
- IP rights to 2032; OpenAI commits to $250 billion more of Azure
- AGI clause
- Any AGI declaration to be verified by an independent expert panel
OpenAI completed its recapitalisation, a reorganisation of who owns and controls it. The business became OpenAI Group PBC, a public benefit corporation (a for-profit company that must also pursue a stated public mission), controlled by the non-profit OpenAI Foundation, which holds 26%. Microsoft took about 27%, worth roughly $135 billion, its rights to OpenAI's models were extended to 2032, and any OpenAI declaration of AGI (artificial general intelligence) would now be verified by an independent expert panel.
Sources
- OpenAI, Built to benefit everyone, 2025-10-28
- Microsoft, The next chapter of the Microsoft–OpenAI partnership, 2025-10-28
- TechCrunch, OpenAI completes its for-profit recapitalization, 2025-10-28