After months of internal debate, public scrutiny, and
a lawsuit from Elon Musk, OpenAI has chosen a hybrid structure that keeps its
nonprofit parent in charge while inviting investments into its for-profit
arm, Reuters reported.
A Structure Born of Compromise
Rather than fully converting into a traditional
for-profit company, OpenAI said it will transform its for-profit subsidiary
into a public benefit corporation.
The company expects this structure to allow it to
pursue large-scale investments, such as a potential $40 billion funding round
led by SoftBank while keeping ultimate control in the hands of its nonprofit
overseers.
The goal: maintain focus on the public good while
accessing the capital needed to remain competitive in the race toward
artificial general intelligence. OpenAI’s board chair Bret Taylor called the
new structure “extremely close” to the existing one.
The structural overhaul may not defuse all of OpenAI’s
challenges. Elon Musk, who co-founded the organization and now runs rival firm
xAI, has sued OpenAI, accusing it of betraying its original mission. His
lawsuit, which targets the shift toward a profit-oriented model, remains active
and is scheduled for trial in 2026.
Tensions With Musk and a Looming Trial
Adding more intrigue, Musk reportedly led a consortium
that offered $97.4 billion to acquire OpenAI earlier this year, a bid rejected
outright by Altman.
OpenAI’s shift to a public benefit corporation is
designed to balance shareholder returns with long-term public impact. Unlike
traditional corporations that focus solely on profit, benefit corporations have
a legal obligation to consider social goals. Still, critics question how the
nonprofit will manage asset allocation and ensure that commercial objectives
don’t dilute the mission.
Microsoft, a major backer of OpenAI, declined to
comment on the restructuring. However, the tech giant’s continued support is
widely seen as crucial to OpenAI’s future.
SoftBank, which reportedly leads the massive $40
billion fundraising push, has yet to respond publicly, but Altman indicated the
new setup should not disrupt those talks.
With capital needs rising and competition
intensifying, OpenAI’s leadership has crafted a compromise. Whether this
structure can hold under the pressure of rapid AI development and growing
external scrutiny remains to be seen.
This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.
Source link
