Caixin Finance News on October 1st (Editor Zhao Hao) According to media reports, insiders revealed that Japan's SoftBank Group plans to invest $0.5 billion in the latest round of large-scale financing at OpenAI.

Based on previous reports, this American artificial intelligence company is in discussions with investors and is expected to raise $6.5 billion at a valuation of $150 billion, with well-known venture capital firm Thrive Capital leading the investment, with investors such as Microsoft among them.

This round of financing is expected to solidify OpenAI's position as the most valuable global startup company, with a market cap close to top investment bank Goldman Sachs if listed at a valuation of $150 billion. As of the publication, Goldman Sachs' total market cap is $156.2 billion.

It should be noted that if the news is confirmed, this would be SoftBank's first investment in OpenAI.

In June this year, SoftBank, one of the competitors of OpenAI, established a strategic partnership with Perplexity, investing $10 million to $20 million, raising Perplexity's valuation to $3 billion.

In July this year, SoftBank's stock listed in Japan once hit a historical record of 12,180 yen per share. Although there was a slight retreat, the year-to-date increase is close to 34%, reflecting investors' approval of the company's AI-focused investment decisions.

Caixin Finance News previously mentioned that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has visited Masayoshi Son several times. Earlier reports also hinted that besides SoftBank's investment in OpenAI, the two companies may also collaborate on developing AI chips.

However, OpenAI is currently facing a high level of uncertainty. Last week, there was news that the company is planning a restructuring plan, preparing to have its core business operated by a for-profit company, aiming to enhance its attractiveness to investors.

However, at the same time, Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati announced her departure from the company. Previously, Murati had mentioned that OpenAI was building the GPT-5 model, and her departure might once again affect the continuously delayed release time.

Following Murati, OpenAI's Chief Scientist Bob McGrew and Vice President Barret Zoph also resigned. Last Friday, there was news that Apple withdrew from the negotiations of OpenAI's financing round. Analysts believe this may be related to the departure of several key figures in the company.

In addition, a financial document seen by the media shows that OpenAI's revenue growth rate is far from keeping up with the rate at which it is burning through cash: the company expects revenue of $3.7 billion this year, with a loss of approximately $5 billion.