ChatGPT is not a separate company – it’s a product built and run by OpenAI Group PBC, a for-profit public benefit corporation. As of late 2025, OpenAI’s ownership looks roughly like this:

• Microsoft – ~27% of OpenAI Group PBC (worth about $135 billion)
• OpenAI Foundation (non-profit) – 26%
• Employees + other investors – 47%

The OpenAI Foundation (the non-profit) still controls the company’s overall direction by appointing and removing the board of the for-profit PBC.

Below is a cleaned-up, fully updated version of your article that targets “who owns ChatGPT” and “who owns OpenAI” with current 2025 facts and a clearer structure.

Who Owns ChatGPT and OpenAI?

ChatGPT is owned by OpenAI Group PBC, a for-profit public benefit corporation that commercializes OpenAI’s AI models such as GPT-4, GPT-4.1, DALL·E, Sora, and others.

However, economic ownership and control are split:

• Microsoft is the largest outside shareholder with about 27% of OpenAI Group PBC, an equity stake valued at around $135 billion after the 2025 recapitalization.
• The OpenAI Foundation (a non-profit, initially formed in 2015) holds 26% of the PBC and has special governance rights that let it appoint all directors of OpenAI Group.
• The remaining 47% belongs to current and former employees, as well as other investors (e.g., venture funds such as Thrive Capital).

So, when users ask “Who owns ChatGPT?” the most accurate answer in 2025 is:

ChatGPT is owned by OpenAI Group PBC, whose largest single shareholder is Microsoft (27%), but strategic control sits with the non-profit OpenAI Foundation (26%) that appoints the board.

When Was OpenAI Founded?

OpenAI was founded on December 11, 2015, as a non-profit research lab focused on ensuring artificial general intelligence (AGI) “benefits all of humanity.”

At launch, OpenAI was structured as a non-profit entity, funded by donations and pledges from tech leaders and investors, rather than as a traditional venture-backed startup.

Who Founded OpenAI?

OpenAI’s most widely recognized co-founders are:

• Sam Altman – Entrepreneur and former president of Y Combinator; now CEO of OpenAI.
• Elon Musk – CEO of Tesla and SpaceX; early co-founder and donor, but he left the board in 2018 and is no longer involved in OpenAI’s governance.
• Greg Brockman – Former CTO of Stripe; OpenAI’s president and a key architect of its technical and organizational growth.
• Ilya Sutskever – Deep learning researcher; co-author of many foundational neural-network papers and former Chief Scientist.
• Wojciech Zaremba – Researcher in deep learning and robotics; helped build the early research team.
• John Schulman – Research scientist; central to reinforcement learning work and early training approaches used in models like ChatGPT.

In addition to these co-founders, early backers such as Reid Hoffman, Peter Thiel, and Jessica Livingston provided funding and support but are usually classified as investors or backers, not operational co-founders.

From Non-Profit to Public Benefit Corporation: How OpenAI’s Structure Changed

OpenAI’s ownership story makes sense only if you walk through its structural changes.

1. 2015–2018: Pure Non-Profit

• OpenAI, Inc. began as a non-profit with a mission to develop safe, beneficial AI.
• Funding came from donations and pledges; there was no equity and no expectation of traditional profit.

2. 2019: Capped-Profit Subsidiary (OpenAI Global LLC)

As training frontier models became extremely expensive, OpenAI created a capped-profit subsidiary, often referred to as OpenAI Global LLC, in 2019.

• Investors could earn up to a capped return (e.g., 100x) on their money, but excess upside was meant to flow toward the mission.
• The non-profit still controlled the capped-profit entity and emphasized that safety and long-term benefit remained the priority.

3. 2025: Recapitalization into OpenAI Group PBC

In October 2025, OpenAI completed a major recapitalization and converted its for-profit arm into OpenAI Group PBC, a public benefit corporation (PBC) registered in Delaware.

Under this new structure:

• OpenAI Group PBC houses the commercial business: ChatGPT, enterprise APIs, DALL·E, Sora, etc.
• The OpenAI Foundation (the non-profit, formerly OpenAI, Inc.) holds equity in the PBC and funds philanthropic and research projects using returns from that stake.
• The old “capped-profit” mechanics were replaced with a more conventional equity structure, while the PBC charter embeds a public-benefit purpose into the legal framework.

This shift gives OpenAI more flexibility to raise capital, pursue a future IPO, and do stock-based acquisitions—while still keeping mission-oriented oversight at the Foundation level.

Who Owns ChatGPT in 2025?

ChatGPT is a product of OpenAI Group PBC, so the question “who owns ChatGPT?” is really “who owns OpenAI Group PBC?”

After the 2025 recapitalization, the equity split is:

Microsoft – ~27%

• Microsoft has invested about $13–14 billion in OpenAI since 2019.
• That stake is now valued at around $135 billion, roughly 27% of OpenAI Group PBC on an as-converted, diluted basis.
• The partnership also includes a massive cloud deal in which OpenAI commits to buying hundreds of billions of dollars in compute. At the same time, Microsoft gains deep integration of OpenAI models into products like Azure, Microsoft 365, and Copilot.

OpenAI Foundation – 26%

• The non-profit OpenAI Foundation holds about 26% of OpenAI Group PBC.
• It also holds a warrant that can convert into additional shares if OpenAI’s valuation crosses certain long-term thresholds, making the Foundation the single largest long-term beneficiary of OpenAI’s success.

Employees and Other Investors – 47%

• The remaining 47% is owned by current and former employees and external investors (e.g., venture funds like Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, and others).

So no single company “owns” ChatGPT outright. Microsoft is the largest shareholder and most important commercial partner, but the OpenAI Foundation retains governance control.

Who Controls OpenAI?

Ownership and control are not identical.

The OpenAI Foundation’s Role

The OpenAI Foundation is governed by a board that currently includes:

• Bret Taylor (Chair)
• Sam Altman (CEO)
• Adam D’Angelo
• Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann
• Dr. Zico Kolter
• Retired Gen. Paul M. Nakasone
• Adebayo Ogunlesi
• Nicole Seligman

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers stepped down from the board in November 2025 following public controversy.

Crucially:

• The OpenAI Foundation appoints all members of the OpenAI Group PBC board and can remove them at any time.
• That means, even though Microsoft and other investors own large stakes, the non-profit ultimately controls the board and therefore OpenAI’s strategic direction.

In other words:

Economic ownership is spread across Microsoft, the Foundation, employees, and investors — but governance control resides with the OpenAI Foundation.

Does Elon Musk Own Any Part of OpenAI or ChatGPT Today?

No. Elon Musk was an early co-founder and donor to OpenAI and sat on its board until 2018, when he resigned, citing potential conflicts with Tesla’s AI work.

Public reporting and OpenAI’s own descriptions of its current ownership do not list Musk as a current shareholder. Today, he is not involved in OpenAI’s governance and instead operates his own AI company and model (Grok) via X.

Does Microsoft Own OpenAI or ChatGPT?

Microsoft does not own OpenAI outright, and it does not own ChatGPT as a separate company. But it is:

• OpenAI’s largest outside investor has about 27% equity.
• The primary commercial partner is integrating OpenAI models into Azure and its software ecosystem.
• A key provider of cloud compute and infrastructure in exchange for long-term AI access and revenue-sharing arrangements.

Because of this deep integration, many people casually say, “Microsoft owns ChatGPT.” Technically, though, ChatGPT remains a product of OpenAI Group PBC, not of Microsoft.

Is OpenAI Publicly Traded? Can You Buy Shares in ChatGPT?

As of late 2025:

• OpenAI is still a private company; its equity is not listed on any stock exchange.
• However, after the recapitalization, OpenAI is clearly setting the stage for a potential IPO (initial public offering). Reports suggest the company could seek a valuation of up to $1 trillion and may file with regulators as early as the second half of 2026, though timing and valuation could change.

So:

• You cannot directly buy “ChatGPT stock” or OpenAI shares yet.
• Investors who want exposure today typically do so indirectly through Microsoft or other publicly traded partners that benefit from OpenAI’s success.

Why This Ownership Structure Matters

The current mix of non-profit control + big corporate investor + broad employee/investor base has several implications:

Mission vs. Profit

• The PBC structure and Foundation control are meant to keep long-term safety and public benefit in view, even as the company raises huge amounts of capital and pursues substantial profits. Built In+1

Concentration of Power

• Critics argue that, in practice, power is still concentrated among a small set of tech leaders, investors, and partners (notably Microsoft), raising questions about transparency and public oversight of frontier AI development.

Speed of Innovation

• The recapitalization and upcoming IPO plans would give OpenAI access to even more funding for chips, data centers, and acquisitions, accelerating the pace at which models like ChatGPT and Sora evolve.

Comparison Table: Old Myths vs Updated 2025 Facts

Old Belief / Myth	Reality in 2025
Microsoft owns 49% of OpenAI	Microsoft owns ~27%, not 49%
Elon Musk still owns OpenAI	Musk exited in 2018, owns 0%
OpenAI is a nonprofit only	OpenAI is a hybrid model (non-profit + PBC)
ChatGPT is owned by Microsoft	Microsoft is a major shareholder, but OpenAI Foundation controls the board
OpenAI can’t go public	2025 restructuring enables future IPO
ChatGPT, OpenAI, and Microsoft are one company	They are independent, connected via partnership and ownership stake

FAQs: Who Owns ChatGPT and OpenAI?

Who owns ChatGPT in 2025?

ChatGPT is owned by OpenAI Group PBC. The largest shareholder is Microsoft with about 27%, but the OpenAI Foundation controls the board and holds 26% of the equity, with the rest owned by employees and investors.

Who owns OpenAI?

No single person or company owns OpenAI. Ownership is shared among Microsoft, the OpenAI Foundation, employees, and external investors. Strategic control sits with the OpenAI Foundation, which appoints the board of the for-profit PBC.

Can I buy OpenAI or ChatGPT stock?

Not yet. OpenAI is privately held. Reports suggest it is preparing for a possible IPO around 2026–2027, potentially at a valuation of up to $1 trillion, but nothing is finalized.