SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 21, 2026, 15:50 (PST)
- Bloomberg reports that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is reaching out to Middle East investors for a funding round expected to raise at least $50 billion
- The report valued OpenAI between $750 billion and $830 billion
- The discussions highlight just how much capital OpenAI claims is necessary for chips and data centers
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been in talks with major Middle Eastern investors about a potential funding round that could reach $50 billion, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday, citing sources close to the discussions. According to the report, OpenAI is targeting a valuation in the range of $750 billion to $830 billion. Source
If it goes through, this round would be one of the biggest private fundraisings out there, reinforcing a trend we’ve seen for months: Gulf investors moving beyond minority stakes and diving into the core of AI—think power, chips, and data centers that run these models. For OpenAI, it’s also a proving ground to see if investors will keep opening their wallets as the cost of “compute” keeps rising. Source
OpenAI’s CFO Sarah Friar said this week that “Compute is the scarcest resource in AI,” noting the company’s growth closely follows its computing power. She pegged OpenAI’s annualized revenue at over $20 billion by 2025 and revealed compute demand hit roughly 1.9 gigawatts last year — a data center metric for electricity capacity. Source
Altman traveled to the region to meet with top state-backed funds in Abu Dhabi, according to sources quoted by Bloomberg. These discussions are still in the early phases, and the terms remain subject to change, the report added. Source
OpenAI has been eyeing much bigger figures for months. Earlier reports revealed it reserved a stock grant pool worth $50 billion and was in early talks to raise funds at a valuation near $750 billion, according to The Information. Source
The move highlights the price of leading the AI race. During an October livestream, Altman revealed OpenAI’s plan to build 30 gigawatts of computing power, costing around $1.4 trillion, according to Reuters. “AI is a sport of kings,” noted Gil Luria, an analyst at D.A. Davidson, in the same report. Source
OpenAI is already linked to a major development in the Gulf. Abu Dhabi’s “Stargate UAE” project is set to start up in 2026, aiming to reach 5 gigawatts eventually — enough energy to rank it among the largest AI data center hubs outside the US, according to Reuters in May. Source
The AI sector continues to attract massive funding, despite ongoing debates about its valuations. On Tuesday, Humans&, a fresh AI lab started by ex-OpenAI, Alphabet, and xAI researchers, announced it secured $480 million in a seed round, pegging its valuation at roughly $4.48 billion. CEO Eric Zelikman told Reuters their model aims to “coordinate with people.” Source
The Middle East expansion faces hurdles from Washington’s changing stance on advanced chips and sensitive technology. On Wednesday, a U.S. House panel moved forward legislation to grant Congress greater control over AI chip exports, Reuters reported. This adds a fresh political complication for firms eyeing big data center projects overseas. Source
OpenAI is also pushing to bring governments closer into its fold. On Wednesday, the company announced an expansion of its “OpenAI for Countries” program, aiming to get more nations to build data centers and boost daily AI adoption. Executives are actively promoting this initiative at Davos this week. According to a report shared with Reuters, “Most countries are still operating far short of what today’s AI systems make possible.” Source
A funding round at the scale Bloomberg mentioned would catapult OpenAI into a new tier of private companies — and crank up the pressure on competitors like Anthropic and Meta, both heavily investing in models and infrastructure to keep pace on compute.
At this stage, they’re just figures. The discussions are preliminary, the investors remain unnamed, and a deal this large could falter over politics, pricing, or simply weariness with the cash AI continues to consume.
