OpenAI employees sell $6.6 billion worth of shares, with an average profit of $11 million per person

OpenAI conducted a large-scale internal equity transaction in October 2025. Reportedly, more than 600 current and former employees converted shares worth $6.6 billion into cash before the company’s initial public offering (IPO). However, as the broader market broadly looks favorably on the AI industry’s prospects, internal employees choosing to offload large holdings at this moment has drawn attention to liquidity of tech-sector equity and employees’ asset-allocation strategies.

OpenAI: Over 600 current and former employees dispose of $6.6 billion worth of shares

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI facilitated an internal stock transaction with a total size of $6.6 billion in October 2025. More than 600 current and former employees participated in the sale, with an average transaction amount of about $11 million per person. Among them, about 75 employees reached the company’s maximum sale limit of $30 million per person.

Under OpenAI’s internal rules, employees become eligible to sell shares after two years of employment. This gives many employees who joined after the launch of ChatGPT the opportunity for their first disposition of company equity.

OpenAI raises the stock-sale cap

This equity transaction was carried out in the form of a tender offer. Because external market demand for the unlisted OpenAI shares was strong, the company raised the employees’ maximum sellable amount from the original $10 million to $30 million.

Is early exit to hedge risk and lock in profits?

Although OpenAI and the future development of the broader artificial intelligence industry are generally met with market expectations, employees’ selling behavior reflects another financial consideration. Do OpenAI employees not believe in the company’s future stock upside, or do they expect greater risk regarding the price trend after the IPO? But OpenAI has set the highest stock compensation in the history of tech startups, and this financial planning allows these employees to gain early, real financial autonomy amid the AI boom.

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