By Newstake · Updated
Who owns OpenAI?
A non-profit, the OpenAI Foundation, controls OpenAI. The business itself is a public benefit corporation, OpenAI Group PBC. Since its restructuring in October 2025, the Foundation owns about 26% of it, Microsoft about 27%, and employees and other investors the rest. ChatGPT is OpenAI’s best-known product, not a separate company.
Photo by @emilwidlund on Unsplash
- Foundation
The non-profit that controls OpenAI.
- OpenAI Group
The business, a public benefit corporation.
- Products
ChatGPT, the GPT models, Codex and more.
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Is OpenAI a non-profit?
It started as one in 2015. Over time it added a business to raise the money needed for computers and staff. In October 2025 it turned that business into a public benefit corporation. A non-profit, now called the OpenAI Foundation, still controls it and owns a large stake.
A public benefit corporation can make a profit, but it must also follow a stated mission. For OpenAI, that mission is to make sure that very capable AI benefits everyone.
Is OpenAI owned by Microsoft?
No, but Microsoft is a large owner, with about 27% after the restructuring. Microsoft invested billions of dollars in OpenAI and runs many of its models in its Azure cloud and its Copilot products.
Is OpenAI the same as ChatGPT?
No. OpenAI is the company. ChatGPT is the chat app it sells. OpenAI also makes the GPT models behind ChatGPT, the Codex coding agent, the Sora video model and other products.
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