OpenAI is advancing toward a $500 billion valuation through a secondary share sale, representing a 66% increase from its earlier $300 billion fundraising target. This initiative aims to provide liquidity to employees and early investors. The company secured $8.3 billion in commitments for the second tranche of its $40 billion capital raise, with the offering oversubscribed fivefold.
Concurrently, Worldcoin—the cryptocurrency project backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman—faces mounting global regulatory challenges over its biometric data collection practices. China’s Ministry of State Security issued warnings highlighting risks including potential foreign influence and mass surveillance. Operations have already been suspended in Kenya and Indonesia amid concerns about biometric data misuse.
Regulatory pressure extends to OpenAI in the U.S., where authorities are examining intellectual property usage and privacy compliance. Meanwhile, China’s emphasis on ‘data sovereignty’ reflects escalating international scrutiny over large-scale personal data handling by tech firms.