Particle.news
Download on the App Store

OpenAIMicrosoft Deal Caps Revenue Share at $38 Billion, Shifts to Non-Exclusive Licensing

The hard ceiling gives OpenAI cost certainty.

Overview

  • OpenAI reworked its Microsoft pact to a 20% revenue share through 2030 with total payments capped at $38 billion, replacing earlier open-ended terms tied to vague milestone triggers.
  • Microsoft’s rights to OpenAI’s models now run on a non-exclusive license through 2032, which lets OpenAI run on Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud while Azure keeps priority placement.
  • OpenAI still plans massive spending on Microsoft’s cloud under a multi-year commitment reported at $250 billion for Azure compute, ensuring a large flow of business to Microsoft even with multi-cloud freedom.
  • OpenAI raised $122 billion in February 2026 at an $852 billion valuation, and Microsoft’s roughly 26.79% economic stake is estimated at about $228 billion based on that mark.
  • Microsoft recorded $5.9 billion in net gains tied to OpenAI during the nine months ending March 31, 2026 after OpenAI’s October 2025 shift to a Public Benefit Corporation changed how the stake is accounted for.