Microsoft and OpenAI Reaffirm Unchanged Partnership Amid $110 Billion New Funding
In a significant development within the artificial intelligence sector, Microsoft and OpenAI have jointly released a statement clarifying that their strategic partnership remains entirely unaffected by recent massive funding announcements. This clarification comes as OpenAI secured a staggering $110 billion in new investments from tech giants Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank, at a pre-money valuation of $730 billion.
Details of the New Funding Round
OpenAI has officially announced the breakdown of this monumental funding round. Amazon is investing $50 billion, Nvidia is contributing $30 billion, and SoftBank is also putting in $30 billion. This collective investment underscores the immense confidence and high stakes in the future of AI technology. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed enthusiasm about these partnerships, highlighting that with Amazon, the company will bring a new generation of products to market, particularly focusing on innovative enterprise solutions.
Altman praised Nvidia for their continued trust and described SoftBank as an incredible and high-conviction partner. Despite these new alliances, both Microsoft and OpenAI emphasize that their core relationship, established since 2019, continues to thrive without any alterations.
Core Pillars of the Microsoft-OpenAI Partnership
The joint statement meticulously outlines that all aspects of the Microsoft-OpenAI partnership remain exactly as detailed in their October 2025 update. The partnership was intentionally designed to allow both entities the flexibility to pursue independent opportunities while maintaining a strong collaborative framework. Key elements include:
- Intellectual Property: Microsoft retains its exclusive license and access to intellectual property across all OpenAI models and products. Collaborations with third parties, such as the new partnership with Amazon, were always anticipated under the existing agreements.
- Commercial and Revenue Share: The revenue-sharing arrangement between Microsoft and OpenAI remains unchanged. This includes revenue generated from partnerships between OpenAI and other cloud providers, ensuring financial stability and mutual benefit.
- Azure as Exclusive Cloud Provider: Microsoft Azure continues to be the exclusive cloud provider for stateless OpenAI APIs. These APIs, which provide access to OpenAI's models and IP, can be purchased either directly from Microsoft or from OpenAI. Any stateless API calls resulting from collaborations with third parties, including Amazon, will be hosted on Azure, leveraging its global infrastructure, security, and enterprise-grade capabilities.
- Hosting of First-Party Products: OpenAI's first-party products, such as Frontier, will persistently be hosted on Azure, reinforcing the deep technical integration between the two companies.
- AGI Definition and Processes: The contractual definition of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the procedures for determining its achievement remain unaltered, providing clarity and consistency in long-term goals.
Support for OpenAI's Growth and Flexibility
The partnership is structured to support OpenAI's scaling efforts, granting the company flexibility to commit to additional computational resources elsewhere. This includes involvement in large-scale infrastructure initiatives like the Stargate project. Both Microsoft and OpenAI reiterate their commitment to advancing AI responsibly, ensuring that the benefits of AI are broadly accessible to people and organizations worldwide.
They continue to work side-by-side across research, engineering, and product development, building on years of successful collaboration. The joint mission to deliver powerful AI tools and promote responsible development remains at the forefront of their efforts, unaffected by external investments or new partnerships.
