Dernières nouvelles pour SoftBank Group (OTC:SFTBF) Stock

SoftBank is a Japan-based telecom and e-commerce conglomerate that has expanded mainly through acquisitions, and its key assets include a 40%-owned mobile and fixed broadband telecom operator business in Japan. It also owns 90% of semiconductor chip designer Arm Holdings following the 2023 IPO of this business, and has a vast portfolio of mainly internet- and e-commerce-focused early-stage investments. It is also general partner of the $100 billion SoftBank Vision Fund 1 and sole investor in SoftBank Vision Fund 2, both of which primarily invest in pre-IPO internet and AI companies.

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Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) reportedly plans to spend approximately $40 billion to purchase 400,000 of Nvidia Corp.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45572904/nvidia-powers-big-gains-for-quanta-pegatron-as-ai-demand-explodes">GB200 AI "superchips"</a> to power a massive new data center for OpenAI in Abilene, Texas.
What Happened: The site is part of Stargate, a $500 billion AI infrastructure project spearheaded by OpenAI and SoftBank Group Corp. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>).
Once completed, the facility will deliver 1.2 gigawatts of power, making it one of the largest AI data centers globally, according to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a9cd130f-f6bf-4750-98cc-19d87394e657">a</a> report by the Financial Times, citing several people familiar with the matter.
Oracle will lease the site for 15 years and provide compute capacity to OpenAI, which no <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45539207/sam-altmans-openai-raises-116-billion-for-texas-data-center-as-it-moves-to-reduce-reliance-on-microsoft-report">longer relies exclusively</a> on Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) for infrastructure support.
The Texas facility is being developed by Crusoe and Blue Owl Capital, with more than $15 billion in debt and equity raised, including a total of $9.6 billion loan from JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>).
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/05/45581252/marvel-delays-robert-downey-jr-starrer-avengers-doomsday-and-secret-wars-to-december-2026-but-disney-has-a-summer-blockbuster-in-store">Marvel Delays Robert Downey Jr. Starrer &#8216;Avengers: Doomsday&#8217; And &#8216;Secret Wars&#8217; To December 2026, But Disney Has A Summer Blockbuster In Store</a>
Construction began in June 2024, and the center is expected to be fully operational by mid-2026.
Once finished, its scale will be comparable to Elon Musk's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/05/45511489/elon-musk-touts-xais-colossus-2-as-first-gigawatt-ai-supercluster-powered-by-168-tesla-megapacks-amid-agi-push">proposed expansion</a> of his "Colossus" data center in Memphis, Tennessee, which aims to accommodate around 1 million Nvidia chips.
Why It's Important: Previously, OpenAI relied heavily on Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. However, earlier this year, the two companies agreed to end their exclusivity deal after OpenAI&#8217;s compute needs began to outpace Microsoft's capacity, the report added.
Earlier this week, it was also reported that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45550033/openai-teams-up-with-iphone-designer-jony-ive-as-chatgpt-maker-makes-push-into-hardware-apple-shares-slide">OpenAI is acquiring</a> Jony Ive's AI device startup, io Products, in a $6.5 billion all-stock deal.
Ive, known for designing the iPhone and other iconic Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) products, will join forces with OpenAI to develop AI hardware.
Price Action: Oracle shares dipped 0.013% in after-hours trading, reaching $155.95 at the time of writing, after falling 0.85% during regular trading hours on Friday, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings gives Oracle a growth score of 31.75%, highlighting the company's solid market momentum. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to see how it compares to other stocks</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/24015550/Screenshot-2025-05-24-at-11.22.25%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-926802" /></a></figure>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Oracle To Spend $40 Billion On Nvidia GB200 Chips For OpenAI's Texas Data Center: Report

OpenAI,&nbsp;Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>),&nbsp;Nvidia&nbsp;Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Cisco Systems, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), and Group 42 Holding announced their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/project-stargate" rel="noreferrer noopener">partnership to build</a> Stargate UAE on Thursday.
Stargate UAE is a next-generation AI infrastructure cluster that will run in the newly established 5-gigawatt UAE–U.S. AI Campus <a target="_blank" href="https://group.softbank/en/news/press/20250522" rel="noreferrer noopener">in Abu Dhabi</a>.
G42 will build Stargate UAE, a 1-gigawatt compute cluster, and OpenAI and Oracle will operate it.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45389466/softbank-books-3-6-billion-profit-on-arm-bytedance-gains-while-ai-bets-face-trade-policy-hurdles" rel="noreferrer noopener">SoftBank Books $3.6 Billion Profit On Arm, ByteDance Gains While AI Bets Face Trade Policy Hurdles</a>
The collaboration will also include Cisco, offering its zero-trust security and AI-ready connectivity, SoftBank Group, and Nvidia, which will supply the latest Nvidia Grace Blackwell GB300 systems.
The first 200-megawatt AI cluster will likely go live in 2026. Stargate UAE will accelerate scientific discovery and drive innovation across industries ranging from healthcare and energy to finance and transportation, fueling future economic growth and national development.
The full UAE–U.S. AI infrastructure campus, which spans 10 square miles, is the largest such deployment outside the U.S. It will provide 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity and regional compute resources.
The facility will be powered by nuclear, solar, and natural gas to minimize carbon emissions. It will also house a science park driving innovation, talent development, and sustainable compute infrastructure.
Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia, said, &#8220;AI is the most transformative force of our time. With Stargate UAE, we are building the AI infrastructure to power the country&#8217;s bold vision – to empower its people, grow its economy, and shape its future.&#8221;
Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco, said, &#8220;Cisco is proud to join Stargate UAE to advance groundbreaking AI innovation in the UAE and around the world. By embedding our secure AI-optimized networking fabric for this international deployment, we&#8217;re building smart, secure and energy-efficient networks that will turn intelligence into impact at global scale.&#8221;
&#8220;By establishing the world&#8217;s first Stargate outside of the U.S. in the UAE, we&#8217;re transforming a bold vision into reality. This is the first major milestone in our OpenAI for Countries initiative, our effort to work with allies and partners to build AI infrastructure around the world. It&#8217;s a step toward ensuring some of this era&#8217;s most important breakthroughs, safer medicines, personalized learning, and modernized energy, can emerge from more places and benefit the world,&#8221; Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI stated.
A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/04/44873349/openai-and-softbanks-stargate-considers-major-uk-investment-to-fuel-ai-growth" rel="noreferrer noopener">report in April</a> indicated that Stargate&nbsp;is weighing a&nbsp;future investment in&nbsp;the U.K. to build the global infrastructure needed to support advanced artificial intelligence models.
The&nbsp;OpenAI&nbsp;and&nbsp;SoftBank-backed AI infrastructure joint venture is raising $100 billion in investment in AI infrastructure projects, which could reach $500 billion over the next four years.&nbsp;
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CSCO

Tech Titans Unite For Stargate UAE In AI Venture

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/softbank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japanese investment holding company</a>&nbsp;SoftBank Group Corp&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>)&nbsp;reported fourth-quarter results on Tuesday. The company reported quarterly net sales of 1.94 trillion yen ($12.69 billion), up from 1.75 trillion yen a year ago.
SoftBank segment <a target="_blank" href="https://group.softbank/en/event/earnings_2024q4#3" rel="noreferrer noopener">net sales grew</a> 10.2% to 1.73 trillion yen ($11.33 billion).&nbsp;
Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) net sales rose 38.3% to 189.81 billion yen ($1.24 billion). 
The income before tax for the company was 433.79 billion yen. The net income was 545.42 billion yen (or $3.57 billion) compared to a profit of 328.9 billion yen a year ago.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/04/44873349/openai-and-softbanks-stargate-considers-major-uk-investment-to-fuel-ai-growth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI And SoftBank&#8217;s Stargate Considers Major UK Investment To Fuel AI Growth</a>
The gain on investments was 1.53 trillion yen (or $10.01 billion). Vision Fund investments reported a 177.26 billion yen profit (or $1.16 billion), compared to a loss of (57.53) billion yen a year ago. The segment reported a 26.07 billion yen profit (or $0.17 billion) versus a loss of (96.74) billion yen backed by  rise in the value of TikTok owner ByteDance, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/softbank-vision-fund-swings-to-annual-loss-as-investment-gains-slow.html">reported</a> on Tuesday.
SoftBank reported a segment income of 142.32 billion yen (or $0.93 billion) versus 123.55 billion yen a year ago. Arm&#8217;s segment income is 30.44 billion yen (or $0.2 billion) compared to a loss of (16.77) billion yen a year ago.
The Board resolved to propose a fiscal dividend per share of 22 yen at the annual general meeting on June 27. The annual dividend per share for the fiscal year, including the interim dividend, will be 44 yen, the same as the previous fiscal year.&nbsp;
In January, the Trump Administration announced an&nbsp;AI infrastructure joint venture&nbsp;in the U.S. dubbed &#8220;Stargate,&#8221; comprising &nbsp;OpenAI,&nbsp;SoftBank Group,&nbsp;Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), and Abu Dhabi&#8217;s&nbsp;MGX. The venture will deploy $100 billion initially and up to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43139410/softbanks-role-in-500-billion-stargate-ai-venture-seen-as-major-growth-driver-analyst-says" rel="noreferrer noopener">$500 billion over</a>&nbsp;the next four years.
SoftBank invested $30 billion in OpenAI under a broader $40 billion financing round in March that valued the startup at $300 billion. Reports indicated SoftBank&nbsp;weighing an&nbsp;investment of $15 billion-$25 billion in&nbsp;OpenAI, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44513286/softbank-may-want-to-outdo-microsoft-with-40-billion-investment-in-openais-latest-funding-round">making it the</a> largest investor in the&nbsp;ChatGPT&nbsp;creator.
However, President&nbsp;Donald Trump&#8217;s aggressive trade policies&nbsp;have slowed down SoftBank&#8217;s plans to invest $100 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the U.S., Bloomberg <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-12/softbank-stargate-venture-with-openai-hits-snags-on-tariff-fears?sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> on Monday. The tariff policies have triggered concerns over higher capital costs, with lenders and debt investors dumping high-risk bets and fears about potential global recession taking a toll on data center demand.
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SoftBank Books $3.6 Billion Profit On Arm, ByteDance Gains While AI Bets Face Trade Policy Hurdles

OpenAI reportedly plans to cut the share of revenue it pays to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) by at least half by the end of the decade.
What Happened: OpenAI has informed investors that it will reduce the percentage of revenue it shares with Microsoft, its largest backer, reported Reuters on Tuesday (<a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-plans-slash-revenue-share-microsoft-restructuring">via</a> The Information).
Currently, OpenAI has an agreement to share 20% of its revenue with Microsoft through 2030. However, internal financial projections shared with investors suggest that figure will drop to just 10% by the end of the decade, the report said, citing private documents.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/25/04/45090231/elon-musk-says-will-come-as-a-surprise-to-most-as-chinas-economy-surpasses-us-and-eu-amid-rising-tariffs-and" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Says Will Come As A ‘Surprise To Most' As China's Economy Surpasses US And EU Amid Rising Tariffs And Growing Recession Fears</a>
An OpenAI spokesperson told The Information, "We continue to work closely with Microsoft, and look forward to finalizing the details of this recapitalization in the near future."
OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga's</a> request for comments.
Why It's Important: The latest development comes a day after OpenAI's nonprofit parent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45213089/openai-reverses-course-as-sam-altman-says-nonprofit-will-remain-in-control-amid-elon-musks-lawsuit-and-investor-pushback">decided to retain control</a> over the company.
In January, Microsoft revised certain terms of its agreement with OpenAI following the announcement of a separate joint venture involving Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) and Japan's SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/01/43184963/nvidia-microsoft-or-oracle-which-among-these-stargate-ai-project-beneficiaries-are-the-least-expensive-to-own">invest up to $500 billion</a> in new AI data centers across the U.S.
Microsoft has stated that its agreement with OpenAI includes reciprocal revenue-sharing provisions and that the core components of their partnership are set to remain active through the end of the contract in 2030, the report said.
Microsoft received a robust growth score of 64.83% from Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to compare its performance with other major tech firms</a> such as Oracle and SoftBank.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

OpenAI To Slash Microsoft Revenue Share By 2030: Report

ChatGPT parent OpenAI has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/openai" rel="noreferrer noopener">agreed to buy</a> Windsurf for about $3 billion, Bloomberg <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-06/openai-reaches-agreement-to-buy-startup-windsurf-for-3-billion?sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> Tuesday citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Windsurf is an artificial intelligence-assisted coding tool formerly known as Codeium.
The acquisition could help Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) backed OpenAI take on&nbsp;competition&nbsp;in the market for AI-driven coding assistants.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/04/44873349/openai-and-softbanks-stargate-considers-major-uk-investment-to-fuel-ai-growth" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI And SoftBank&#8217;s Stargate Considers Major UK Investment To Fuel AI Growth</a>
Windsurf, formerly&nbsp;Exafunction Inc., recently discussed raising funding at a valuation of $3 billion with investors.
On Monday, Sam Altman led OpenAI <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45213089/openai-reverses-course-as-sam-altman-says-nonprofit-will-remain-in-control-amid-elon-musks-lawsuit-and-investor-pushback" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared its pivot</a> from transitioning fully to a public benefit corporation following legal pressure and investor concerns.
OpenAI CEO&nbsp;Sam Altman emphasized that OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, but it is today a nonprofit that oversees and controls the for-profit, and will remain a nonprofit going forward.
OpenAI will continue working with&nbsp;Microsoft, regulators, and nonprofit commissioners to finalize its plans to retain its nonprofit parent&#8217;s control over&nbsp;its for-profit operations.
OpenAI recently finalized a&nbsp;$40 billion financing&nbsp;led by&nbsp;SoftBank Group Corp (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) at a valuation of $300 billion.
OpenAI and its rivals faced stiff competition from a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/04/44665469/chinas-deepseek-teams-up-with-tsinghua-university-to-raise-ai-bar-boost-reasoning-capabilities" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese AI startup</a>, DeepSeek, which claimed to develop competitive AI models at a fraction of the cost.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Microsoft Corp&#8216;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>)&nbsp;upbeat quarterly financial results have been instrumental in easing investor tensions over the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45169853/taiwan-semiconductor-gains-on-strong-earnings-from-meta-and-microsoft-boosting-ai-demand" rel="noreferrer noopener">sustainability of AI investments</a>.
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Photo Courtesy: Meir Chaimowitz via Shutterstock

Microsoft-Backed OpenAI To Snap Windsurf For $3 Billion To Strengthen AI Coding Power: Report

On Monday, ChatGPT-parent OpenAI said that it will retain its nonprofit parent's control over <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44066117/elon-musk-battles-openai-over-move-to-for-profit-model-and-experts-are-pushing-back">its for-profit operations</a>, scaling back a plan to transition fully to a public benefit corporation amid mounting legal pressure and investor concerns.
What Happened: In a letter to OpenAI's employees that was shared in a blog post, Altman said that public benefit corporations have become the go-to for-profit model for AGI labs such as Anthropic and xAI, as well as mission-driven companies like Patagonia.&nbsp;
"OpenAI was founded as a non-profit, is today a non-profit that oversees and controls the for-profit, and going forward will remain a non-profit that oversees and controls the for-profit. That will not change," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a blog post.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45187948/skype-is-officially-retiring-today-if-youd-invested-1000-when-microsoft-bought-it-in-2011-heres-what-youd-be-sitting-on-now">Skype Is Officially Retiring Today — If You&#8217;d Invested $1,000 When Microsoft Bought It In 2011, Here&#8217;s What You&#8217;d Be Sitting On Now</a>
Earlier this year, OpenAI announced that it plans to raise up to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">$40 billion in a round led by</a> SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) at a $300 billion valuation. That round was reportedly contingent on OpenAI transitioning to a for-profit model by year-end.
In a call with reporters, Altman hinted that he new structure does not jeopardize those plans, reported Reuters.
He added that OpenAI would continue working with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), regulators and newly appointed nonprofit commissioners to finalize the plan.
OpenAI Board Chair Bret Taylor said the updated approach follows discussions with civic leaders and the Attorneys General of California and Delaware.
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Why It's Important: The decision marks a shift from OpenAI's earlier proposal, which would have ceded control of the company's for-profit arm to shareholders <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43185661/openai-struggles-to-value-microsoft-stake-as-it-looks-to-transition-to-for-profit-entity-as-trumps-500-billion-stargate-ai-project-kicks-off-report">under a public benefit corporation</a> structure.
That plan would have allowed for greater capital-raising flexibility but sparked criticism over whether OpenAI was drifting from its founding mission to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.
Instead, the nonprofit will continue to oversee the for-profit OpenAI LP while also becoming a significant shareholder in it.
The change also comes as OpenAI faces a lawsuit from co-founder and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk, who accused the company of abandoning its nonprofit mission. A jury trial in that case is scheduled for March 2026.
A Musk-led consortium previously made a $97.4 billion acquisition offer for OpenAI, which CEO <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43622400/sam-altman-says-elon-musks-97b-bid-for-openai-is-a-move-to-slow-down-a-competitor">Altman promptly rejected</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with&nbsp;the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was&nbsp;reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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TSLA

OpenAI Reverses Course As Sam Altman Says Nonprofit Will Remain In Control Amid Elon Musk's Lawsuit And Investor Pushback

President Donald Trump says he will personally phone chief executives who make business moves he dislikes, a tactic he deployed last week with Amazon (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) founder Jeff Bezos over planned tariff disclosures on the e‑commerce giant's site.
What Happened: In an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-call-ceos-plans-prices-tariffs-rcna204702">interview</a> on NBC's "Meet the Press," Trump recounted calling Bezos after Punchbowl News reported Amazon might label import fees tied to the administration's new 145% tariff on Chinese goods. "He's just a very nice guy," Trump said. "I asked him about [the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/04/45086459/amazon-pressures-suppliers-for-discounts-may-show-tariff-related-costs-on-haul-site">tariff disclosure</a>]. He said, ‘Well, I don't want to do that,' and he took it off immediately." Amazon later confirmed the low‑cost Haul storefront had only "considered" the idea and dropped it.
Trump insisted he would ring any CEO whose actions he deemed "hurtful to the country." He framed tariffs not as consumer taxes but as incentives to reshore manufacturing. "The company eats the tariff," he told moderator Kristen Welker.
Asked whether fewer toys on store shelves would mark success, Trump replied, "Maybe the children will have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/05/45144516/trump-a-grinch-or-santa-for-christmas-children-will-have-two-dolls-instead-of-30-dolls">two dolls instead of thirty</a>. … We don't have to waste money on a trade deficit with China for junk we don't need."
See also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/05/45192749/ray-dalio-says-chasing-wealth-without-purpose-is-a-tragedy-dont-make-money-itself-the-goal">Ray Dalio Says Chasing Wealth Without Purpose Is A Tragedy: &#8216;Don&#8217;t Make Money Itself The Goal&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Economist Peter Schiff <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/05/45152587/trumps-call-to-jeff-bezos-over-amazons-tariff-display-earns-peter-schiffs-ire-type-of-stuff-you-migh">blasted Trump's call</a> to Jeff Bezos, calling it "the type of stuff you might expect to see in China." Sen. Elizabeth Warren followed up with a pointed letter to the Amazon founder, asking if Trump's angry phone call pushed Bezos to kill the tariff‑label plan in exchange for "promises or favors." <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/25/05/45128591/elizabeth-warren-asks-jeff-bezos-if-trump-threatened-retaliation-or-offered-favors-after-calling-him-very-nice-for-amazons-reversal-on-showing-tariff-fees">Warren warned</a> that scrubbing tariff costs "keeps consumers in the dark" and could signal a corrupt quid‑pro‑quo between Big Tech and the White House.
Days later, Trump marked his first 100 days back in office by welcoming more than <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/04/45060579/nvidia-johnson-johnson-hyundai-toyota-softbank-ceos-to-join-trump-at-white-house-as-he-touts-inv">two dozen corporate chiefs</a> to the White House. He used the "Investing in America" event to spotlight new spending commitments from powerhouses such as NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), Hyundai Motor (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HYMTF#OTC">HYMTF</a>), Toyota Motor Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TM#NYSE">TM</a>), and SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>), according to officials who briefed Reuters.
Image via Shutterstock
Read next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/05/45192936/wall-street-veteran-investor-lowers-recession-risk-as-us-china-trade-war-cools">Wall Street Veteran Investor Lowers Recession Risk As US-China Trade War Cools</a>

Politics

AMZN

HYMTF

Donald Trump Vows To 'Call' Up CEOs Who Make Business Moves That Displease Him, Explains Why He Phoned Jeff Bezos To Scrap Amazon's Tariff Disclosure

Peter Lynch, former manager of the Fidelity Magellan Fund and one of the most respected investors of the 20th century, once confessed that his greatest investing error was selling successful stocks too early.&nbsp;
What Happened: An X user shared an extract from the 2017 Forbes India Collectors Edition, in which Lynch described a surprising phone call he received decades earlier.
"My daughter picks up the phone and says, ‘It's Mr. Buffett on the line,'" Lynch wrote. "And I pick up the phone and I hear, ‘This is Warren Buffett from Omaha, Nebraska.'"
Lynch said Warren Buffett was calling to ask permission to quote a line from his book "One Up On Wall Street" in his <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42666459/warren-buffett-once-called-berkshire-the-opposite-of-those-who-hurry-to-sell-now-hes-offloading-apple-and-snapping-up-occidental-petroleum-amid-a-20-drop">year-end shareholder letter</a>.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/03/44287485/peter-lynch-said-theres-always-something-to-worry-about-but-success-in-the-stock-market-depends-on-your-stomach-not-the-brain">Peter Lynch Said There&#8217;s Always Something to Worry About—But Success in the Stock Market Depends on Your &#8216;Stomach, Not The Brain&#8217;</a>
The quote Buffett wanted? "Selling your winners and holding your losers is like cutting the flowers and watering the weeds."
"That one line he picked up in my whole book has been the greatest mistake," Lynch admitted.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Warren Buffett talking to Peter Lynch: <a href="https://t.co/SkQSWa3aJd">pic.twitter.com/SkQSWa3aJd</a>
&mdash; Brian Feroldi (@BrianFeroldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianFeroldi/status/1914440181295276263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Why It's Important: According to Celebrity Net <a href="https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/wall-street/peter-lynch-net-worth/">Worth</a>, Lynch currently has a net worth of around $450 million. Buffett, on the other hand, is ranked fourth on Bloomberg's Billionaire <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">Index</a> with a net worth of $167 billion.
Lynch isn't the only prominent figure to reflect on missed gains from selling too early. Several high-profile investors and tech leaders have voiced similar regrets.
Bill Gates once called Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) decision to sell its early stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) "foolish."&nbsp;
In 1997, Microsoft invested $150 million in the struggling rival, acquiring roughly 5% of the company. By 2003, it had exited the position for around $550 million—a sizable return at the time, but a fraction of what that stake would be worth today.
Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTCL: SFTBY), also admitted to a major misstep in unloading shares of chipmaker Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>). Son sold SoftBank's stake after a modest gain, missing out on the stock's meteoric rise in the AI boom.
Even in the crypto world, David Schwartz, chief technology officer at Ripple, revealed he sold 40,000 Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) at just $1.05 each, netting around $40,000 to buy solar panels. At today's prices, that decision cost him millions.
Schwartz has since called the move one of his biggest financial regrets.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43581581/peter-lynchs-timeless-advice-when-the-markets-going-down-and-you-buy-funds-wisely-at-some-point-in-the-future-you-will-be-happy">Peter Lynch&#8217;s Timeless Advice: &#8216;When the Market&#8217;s Going Down and You Buy Funds Wisely, at Some Point in the Future You Will Be Happy&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with&nbsp;the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was&nbsp;reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

$ETH

Peter Lynch Once Revealed Existence Of A One Liner So Loved By Warren Buffett That The Oracle Of Omaha Called Him To Borrow It: 'The One Line He Picked…Has Been The Greatest Mistake'

To commemorate his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump will host more than two dozen top executives and CEO&#8217;s at the White House this week to highlight a range of investments from some of the biggest companies in the world.
What Happened: Leaders from NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), Hyundai Motor (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HYMTF#OTC">HYMTF</a>), Toyota Motor Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TM#NYSE">TM</a>), and SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) are expected to be present at the "Investing in America" event on Wednesday, according to White House officials who spoke to Reuters. 
Trump intends to showcase recent investments in sectors like healthcare, defense, artificial intelligence, and consumer goods.
In January, Trump announced a private-sector pledge of up to $500 billion toward <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/43400191/openais-100-billion-texas-stargate-data-center-will-reportedly-employ-just-57-people-with-57600-annual-salaries">AI infrastructure</a> with support from OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/45059552/goldman-sachs-reportedly-tells-countries-want-a-deal-keep-trump-happy">Want a Trade Deal? Keep Trump Happy, Goldman Sachs Reportedly Tells Countries</a>
Why It Matters: The event comes amid <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/04/44970516/boeing-adjusts-strategy-amid-trump-tariff-fallout-ceo-kelly-ortberg-says-wont-build-aircraft-for-customers-who-will-not-take-them-as-china-halts-deliveries">rising concerns </a>from industries dealing with tariff-induced disturbances. While Trump repeatedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44811525/trump-hypes-500b-nvidia-investment-in-us-ai-supercomputers-golden-age-of-america-begins">called on global companies</a> to expand U.S. operations, automakers and manufacturers have expressed concerns over policy clarity and regulatory consistency. 
"I need clarity, and then I need consistency," said GM CEO Mary Barra last week, according to Reuters.
Despite the ambiguity, recent investments —like <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/more-investment-more-jobs-and-more-money-in-americans-pockets/">Hyundai's $21 billion U.S. commitment</a> and a new $5.8 billion steel plant in Louisiana — are being presented as proof of economic optimism. 
According to Reuters, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, "Trillions in historic investment commitments since President Trump was elected from industry leaders including TSMC, Apple, and Roche demonstrate resounding confidence in the U.S. economy and dollar under this administration."
Still, with many companies waiting for more definitive trade policies before planning expansions, Trump's pitch this week will show how far investor confidence can hold amid the changing landscape. 
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/45047432/trump-says-i-run-the-country-and-the-world-yet-polls-plummet">Trump Says &#8216;I Run The Country And The World,&#8217; Yet Polls Plummet</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock

Nvidia, Johnson & Johnson, Hyundai, Toyota, SoftBank CEOs To Join Trump At White House As He Touts Investment Surge In First 100 Days: Report

Geoffrey Hinton, known as the &#8220;Godfather of AI,&#8221; has joined a growing chorus of experts and former employees urging regulators to block OpenAI's controversial <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41038183/openais-restructure-from-non-profit-to-potential-150b-for-profit-sam-altman-could-get-equity">restructuring plans</a>.
What Happened: On Monday, Hinton took to X, formerly Twitter, expressing support for efforts to halt OpenAI's transition to a more profit-driven structure. 
"I like OpenAI's mission of ‘ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity,' and I'd like to stop them from completely gutting it," he wrote.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I like OpenAI's mission of &#39;ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity", and I'd like to stop them from completely gutting it. I've signed on to a new letter to <a href="https://twitter.com/AGRobBonta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGRobBonta</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/DE_DOJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DE_DOJ</a> asking them to halt the restructuring. (1/2)
&mdash; Geoffrey Hinton (@geoffreyhinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/geoffreyhinton/status/1916915980246389120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
The AI expert has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/04/44975360/geoffrey-hinton-ex-openai-insiders-and-top-ai-experts-sound-alarm-on-openais-restructuring-warn-it-could-strip-public-of-oversight-betray-agi-mission">signed an open letter addressed</a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings. The letter calls on regulators to intervene in OpenAI's plan to remove the nonprofit's controlling role over the company's direction.
"AGI is the most important and potentially dangerous technology of our time," Hinton added in a follow-up post. "OpenAI was right that this technology merits strong structures and incentives to ensure it is developed safely, and is wrong now in attempting to change these structures and incentives."
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">AGI is the most important and potentially dangerous technology of our time. OpenAI was right that this technology merits strong structures and incentives to ensure it is developed safely, and is wrong now in attempting to change these structures and incentives. We&#39;re urging the…
&mdash; Geoffrey Hinton (@geoffreyhinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/geoffreyhinton/status/1916916200442912980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The letter, hosted on NotForPrivateGain.org, is backed by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/04/44975360/geoffrey-hinton-ex-openai-insiders-and-top-ai-experts-sound-alarm-on-openais-restructuring-warn-it-could-strip-public-of-oversight-betray-agi-mission">more than 30 signatories</a>, including former OpenAI researchers, academics, and ethics leaders.
It argues that OpenAI's restructuring "would eliminate crucial governance safeguards" and violate the nonprofit's responsibility to prioritize public interest.
Why It's Important: OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, remains a leading force in artificial intelligence development.
The concerns raised by Hinton <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44066117/elon-musk-battles-openai-over-move-to-for-profit-model-and-experts-are-pushing-back">align with a lawsuit filed</a> by Elon Musk, whose company, xAI, is now a direct competitor of OpenAI.
Critics say its shift toward a for-profit model—reportedly necessary to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">secure a $40 billion investment</a> from SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>)—risks undermining its original mission to develop AGI safely and ethically.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), which has poured close to $14 billion into OpenAI, could <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42712824/elon-musks-legal-battle-against-openais-for-profit-transition-joined-by-non-profit-encode">face major consequences</a> if regulators move to block the proposed restructuring.
OpenAI maintains that its nonprofit will remain intact and likened its new structure to public benefit corporations like Anthropic.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/25/03/44554189/openai-and-microsoft-back-mcp-standard-in-major-shift-toward-interoperable-ai-agents-that-can-think-click-and-navigate-the-web-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-appears-to-be-mulling-over-it-in-shakespearean-fashion-to-mcp-or-not-to-mcp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI And Microsoft Back MCP Standard For Web-Surfing AI Agents; Google&#8217;s Sundar Pichai Asks A Shakespearean Question</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

'Godfather Of AI' Geoffrey Hinton Backs Elon Musk In Fight Against OpenAI's Restructuring: 'I'd Like To Stop Them From Completely Gutting It'

On Monday, OpenAI unveiled an upgrade to ChatGPT's search functionality, enabling users to browse and shop for products directly within the chatbot.
What Happened: The new feature delivers tailored product suggestions complete with images, pricing, user reviews and direct purchase links across categories like fashion, beauty, electronics and home goods.
The shopping feature is part of the GPT-4o model and is available to all users globally, whether they are on the free tier, subscribed to Pro or Plus plans, or even using the platform without logging in.
OpenAI said that shopping results will be independently curated, relying on structured data from trusted third-party sources, rather than paid promotions.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
&#8220;It will take a few days to complete the rollout,&#8221; the company stated.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Shopping in ChatGPT (including direct links to buy) rolling out starting today: <a href="https://t.co/6xXXIQtTlC">https://t.co/6xXXIQtTlC</a>
&mdash; Greg Brockman (@gdb) <a href="https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1917009041035038837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
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Why It's Important: The move comes as OpenAI seeks to challenge Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42523020/chatgpt-search-goes-free-openai-challenges-googles-unbroken-search-dominance">dominance in search by offering</a> a more user-centric alternative to Google's ad-driven results.
Earlier this month, during testimony at the Department of Justice's antitrust trial against Google in Washington, OpenAI executive Nick Turley said the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/04/44941262/openai-once-tried-to-use-googles-search-technology-instead-of-microsoft-bing-due-to-quality-issues-was-rejected-now-sam-altmans-startup-says-itd-buy-chrome-if-forced-antitrust-sale-happens">company had tried to partner</a> with Google to improve ChatGPT's search capabilities.
However, Google declined, citing the involvement of too many competitors, according to an email presented at trial.
OpenAI has also secured $40 billion in funding, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44678864/openai-eyes-500-million-deal-to-acquire-jony-ive-and-sam-altmans-ai-hardware-startup-report">boosting its valuation to $300 billion</a>. The round received significant support from SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and other leading investors.
Research firm PitchBook notes that this is the largest funding round ever recorded, nearly doubling OpenAI&#8217;s previous valuation of $157 billion.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/25/03/44554189/openai-and-microsoft-back-mcp-standard-in-major-shift-toward-interoperable-ai-agents-that-can-think-click-and-navigate-the-web-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-appears-to-be-mulling-over-it-in-shakespearean-fashion-to-mcp-or-not-to-mcp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI And Microsoft Back MCP Standard For Web-Surfing AI Agents; Google's Sundar Pichai Asks A Shakespearean Question</a></li>
</ul>
Photo Courtesy: Pungu x On Shutterstock.com
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

GOOG

GOOGL

OpenAI Supercharges ChatGPT With Smart Shopping Tool—No Ads, No Commissions

On Sunday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that the last few updates to the GPT-4o model made its personality &#8220;too sycophant-y and annoying.&#8221;
What Happened: Altman took to X, formerly Twitter, and said, "The last couple of GPT-4o updates have made the personality too sycophant-y and annoying (even though there are some very good parts of it), and we are working on fixes asap, some today and some this week."
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">the last couple of GPT-4o updates have made the personality too sycophant-y and annoying (even though there are some very good parts of it), and we are working on fixes asap, some today and some this week. at some point will share our learnings from this, it&#39;s been interesting.
&mdash; Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1916625892123742290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In response to a user asking if the old personality could return, Altman replied, "Yeah, eventually we clearly need to be able to offer multiple options."
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/04/45026578/bill-ackman-missed-out-on-3-4-billion-payday-by-selling-netflix-stock-before-the-boom-nflx-now-seen-as-a-recession-play">Bill Ackman Missed Out On $3.4 Billion Payday By Selling Netflix Stock Before The Boom: NFLX Now Seen As A Recession Play</a>
His comments follow OpenAI's announcement of a GPT-4o upgrade, aimed at improving both the model's intelligence and personality. At the time, a user noted that ChatGPT had felt &#8220;very yes-man like lately,&#8221; to which Altman agreed, saying, "Yeah, it glazes too much. Will fix."
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">yeah it glazes too much will fix
&mdash; Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1915910976802853126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Why It's Important: Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44881778/amid-rising-competition-from-chinas-deepseek-and-us-rivals-openai-ceo-sam-altman-launches-codex-cli-a-coding-agent-that-runs-on-your-computer">OpenAI launched</a> ‘o3' and ‘o4-mini,' the newest additions to its o-series, built to deliver more thoughtful and deliberate responses. It also launched Codex CLI, a new open-source coding agent.
The Altman-led AI startup has also finalized a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">landmark $40 billion funding round</a>, boosting its valuation to $300 billion. Key investors in the round include SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>).
This is reportedly the largest funding round in history and nearly doubles OpenAI's previous valuation of $157 billion.
Photo Courtesy: Meir Chaimowitz on Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/44885202/openais-latest-move-has-competitors-like-deepseek-on-edge">OpenAI&#8217;s Latest Move Has Competitors Like DeepSeek on Edge</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Sam Altman Admits ChatGPT New Upgrade Made It Too Sycophantic And Annoying: OpenAI CEO Says 'Working On Fixes ASAP'

On Monday, Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)&nbsp;chief&nbsp;Jensen Huang&nbsp;met with Japanese Prime Minister&nbsp;Shigeru Ishiba&nbsp;to canvass more electricity to power <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/nvidia" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence&#8217;s needs</a>.
Huang&nbsp;and Ishiba discussed how Japan is particularly positioned well to develop AI, given its leadership in robotics and industrial manufacturing. They acknowledged the importance of electric energy generation and new infrastructure to power their AI ambitions, Bloomberg reported, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-21/nvidia-ceo-lobbies-japan-for-more-power-data-centers-to-fuel-ai?srnd=phx-technology&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">citing</a> Huang.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/44709732/foxconn-eyes-nissan-mitsubishi-in-japan-ev-push-to-counter-chinas-growing-auto-threat" rel="noreferrer noopener">Foxconn Eyes Nissan, Mitsubishi In Japan EV Push To Counter China&#8217;s Growing Auto Threat</a>
However, Huang also said that generating and creating intelligence will need energy.
Huang visited Beijing last week. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump shared plans to prohibit Nvidia from selling H20 AI chip to China amid intensifying geopolitical tensions spurred by U.S. blacklisting of Chinese companies like Huawei Technologies, semiconductor sanctions restricting China&#8217;s access to advanced semiconductor technologies, and a tariff war between the countries.
Last week, Nvidia warned of a $5.5 billion&nbsp;writedown&nbsp;from the newest U.S. chip embargo.
Redburn Atlantic analyst&nbsp;Timm Schulze-Melander&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/04/44846329/nvidias-china-sales-face-setback-as-h20-chip-restrictions-catch-key-buyers-off-guard-reuters" rel="noreferrer noopener">named Nvidia a</a> &#8216;top pick,&#8217; citing investments in leading-edge AI and chipmaking.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44631510/asml-to-boost-japan-workforce-5x-amid-global-race-for-advanced-semiconductor-tech" rel="noreferrer noopener">Recent reports indicated</a> Dutch advanced chipmaking equipment supplier&nbsp;ASML Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ASML#NASDAQ">ASML</a>)&nbsp;plans to quintuple its Japan-based maintenance staff for the machines. Japan continues bolstering its advanced semiconductor technology position, as in the U.S., Europe, and China.
Japanese multinational investment holding company&nbsp;Softbank Group Corp (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) is&nbsp;also weighing a loan&nbsp;of up to $16.5 billion to finance its&nbsp;U.S. AI ambitions.
Price Action: NVDA stock is down 3.32% at $98.12 at the last check on Monday.
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Photo by glen photo via Shutterstock

Government

Regulations

ASML

Nvidia's Jensen Huang Meets Japanese PM To Discuss AI's Growing Energy Needs

On Wednesday, Sam Altman-led OpenAI launched Codex CLI, a new open-source coding agent, along with two AI reasoning models.
What Happened: The newly launched open-source coding agent is OpenAI's most notable open-source release since 2019.
The AI startup also unveiled the full-scale version of its "o3" model—described as its most advanced AI system to date—and a more compact, efficient variant known as "o4-mini."
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Altman said, "o3 and o4-mini are super good at coding, so we are releasing a new product, Codex CLI, to make them easier to use. This is a coding agent that runs on your computer. It is fully open source and available today; we expect it to rapidly improve."
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">o3 and o4-mini are super good at coding, so we are releasing a new product, Codex CLI, to make them easier to use. this is a coding agent that runs on your computer. it is fully open source and available today; we expect it to rapidly improve.
&mdash; Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1912558495997784441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Codex CLI is built to operate directly on a user's machine while connecting to the cloud to leverage the reasoning capabilities of its o3 and o4-mini models. Beyond generating code snippets, it can independently determine which tools to use locally to carry out tasks.
The company also noted that Codex CLI will soon support features from its recently released GPT-4.1 model.
To drive adoption, OpenAI has launched a $1 million grant program, offering selected developers $25,000 in API credits to build innovative projects using Codex CLI.
Moreover, according to OpenAI, training the o3 model required roughly ten times more computational resources than its earlier o1 model, previously considered its top performer in reasoning.
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Why It's Important: This launch comes at a time when OpenAI faces mounting <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/03/44474850/chinas-deepseek-ups-the-heat-in-openai-rivalry-upgrades-v3-model-improving-coding-and-reasoning-capability">pressure from competitors</a> such as China's DeepSeek, which in January launched its R1 model, an open-source AI, reportedly capable of mimicking OpenAI's advanced reasoning abilities.&nbsp;
In February, Anthropic also introduced a model capable of delivering both rapid, instinctive responses and more deliberate, step-by-step reasoning when necessary—a level of adaptive flexibility that OpenAI's models have yet to fully replicate.
Last month, Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google released its Gemini 2.5 Pro, a reasoning-focused model that outperformed OpenAI's o3-mini <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44487389/sundar-pichai-shows-off-googles-most-intelligent-ai-ever-with-a-dinosaur-video-game-that-even-you-could-make-with-a-simple-prompt">across several benchmark tests</a>.
OpenAI has also completed a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">historic $40 billion funding round</a>, raising its valuation to $300 billion. Major contributors to the round include SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>).
This reportedly marks the largest funding round ever recorded and nearly doubles OpenAI's earlier valuation of $157 billion.
Photo Courtesy: Meir Chaimowitz on Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Facing Heat From China's DeepSeek And US Rivals, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Launches Codex CLI: 'A Coding Agent That Runs On Your Computer'

Stargate is considering a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/stargate" rel="noreferrer noopener">future investment in</a> the U.K. to build the global infrastructure needed to support advanced artificial intelligence models.
Sir Keir Starmer&#8217;s government recently announced plans to boost investment in its growing AI industry, including developers&#8217; access to energy, the Financial Times <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/435f0142-8bc1-43dd-9648-d7f05de1dee6" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The OpenAI and SoftBank (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>)- backed AI infrastructure joint venture is raising $100 billion to invest in AI infrastructure projects.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44327422/softbank-to-build-676-million-ai-data-center-in-japan-linked-to-openai-partnership" rel="noreferrer noopener">SoftBank To Build $676 Million AI Data Center In Japan, Linked To OpenAI Partnership</a>
The figure could reach $500 billion over the next four years. Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) will supply 64,000 AI chips for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44188361/nvidia-powers-openai-and-oracles-100-billion-stargate-first-ai-data-center-set-to-launch-in-texas" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stargate data center</a> in Texas. OpenAI tapped Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) to supervise the supercomputer being built in the Abilene data center.
Investment in the U.K. has been considered part of a future international expansion despite the focus on the U.S.
U.K.&#8217;s plans to boost data centers&#8217; access to electricity have stimulated the project&#8217;s interest, the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.&nbsp;
OpenAI said the U.K. was one of its key overseas markets.
Lately, OpenAI has been lobbying European governments to relax regulations and invest in data center infrastructure.
Last Wednesday, the European Commission announced its plan to invest more in AI data centers, including regulatory relaxations.
However, the project&#8217;s ambition remains vulnerable to President Donald Trump&#8217;s new tariff policies.
Trump&#8217;s 145% tariff on China alone could translate into over $11 billion surge in annual costs for U.S. data centre developers, Financial Times cited Altana.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43139410/softbanks-role-in-500-billion-stargate-ai-venture-seen-as-major-growth-driver-analyst-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SoftBank&#8217;s Role in $500 Billion Stargate AI Venture Seen as Major Growth Driver, Analyst Says</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by AKOBCHUK via Shuttesrtock

OpenAI And SoftBank's Stargate Considers Major UK Investment To Fuel AI Growth

Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer of ChatGPT-parent OpenAI, is reportedly seeking to raise a staggering $2 billion seed round for her new AI venture, Thinking Machines Lab.
What Happened: The amount is twice the amount Murati was targeting just under two months ago, when she was said to be seeking around $1 billion at a $9 billion valuation, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mira-murati-new-ai-startup-thinking-machines-funding-2025-4">reported</a> Business Insider, citing people familiar with the matter.
If confirmed, it would be one of the largest seed rounds in tech history, dwarfing previous records and reaffirming the continued investor frenzy around artificial intelligence.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
Consider OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever, who raised <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40722123/openai-co-founder-ilya-sutskevers-ai-startup-raises-1b-from-andreessen-horowitz-sequoia-as-sam-altma">$1 billion in seed funding</a> for his new venture, Safe Superintelligence — a company that has already been pegged with a massive <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43772135/ex-openai-chief-scientist-ilya-sutskevers-ai-startup-valued-at-30-billion-in-latest-funding-round-report">$30 billion valuation</a>.
Another notable example is Sierra, a conversational AI startup launched in 2023 by Bret Taylor, who also chairs OpenAI and previously co-led Salesforce. That company has reportedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41591558/bret-taylors-ai-startup-sierra-hits-4-5b-valuation-just-a-year-after-launch-openai-chairs-latest-ven">reached a valuation of $4.5 billion</a>.
It also reflects a broader trend: seed rounds, especially in AI, are getting bigger. In 2015, the largest seed round was just $50 million. In 2025, PitchBook lists the largest closed seed at $200 million, <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/04/10/mira-murati-2-billion-seed-raise-ai-boom-economic-chaos/">noted</a> Fortune.
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Why It Matters: Murati launched Thinking Machines shortly after <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41037848/openai-cto-mira-murati-steps-down-i-want-to-create-the-time-and-space-to-do-my-own-exploration-elon">departing OpenAI in late 2024</a>. Though details of the company's product or service remain vague, its website states its mission is "to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable."
Thinking Machines&#8217; <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43803027/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-and-sam-altmans-chatgpt-parent-bleed-talent-to-ex-open-ai-cto-mira-muratis-new-ai-venture">team includes OpenAI veterans</a> such as chief scientist John Schulman, who co-led the development of ChatGPT, and advisors Alec Radford and Bob McGrew. Schulman reportedly left Anthropic after a short tenure to reunite with Murati on the new venture.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, OpenAI also secured a historic $40 billion funding round, pushing its valuation to $300 billion. Major backers in the round include SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>).
According to data from PitchBook, this marks the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">largest funding round ever recorded</a> and nearly doubles OpenAI's prior valuation of $157 billion.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati Targets Record-Breaking $2 Billion Seed Round For New AI Startup

On Wednesday, OpenAI countersued Elon Musk, accusing him of using harassment tactics to slow the company's progress and disrupt its plans for growth, including a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/02/43646042/elon-musks-97-4-billion-openai-takeover-bid-reportedly-not-received-by-chatgpt-parent-another-one-of-his-tactics-says-sam-altman">contentious bid</a> for control.
What Happened: In the lawsuit, OpenAI alleges that Musk's tactics include press attacks, legal harassment, and an unsolicited bid for the company's assets.
The filing states, &#8220;Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI,&#8221; and asks the court to stop him from taking further &#8220;unlawful&#8221; actions, reported Reuters.
The dispute centers on <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44066117/elon-musk-battles-openai-over-move-to-for-profit-model-and-experts-are-pushing-back">OpenAI&#8217;s transition to a for-profit model</a>, which is crucial for its current $40 billion fundraising round. OpenAI aims to complete this transition by the end of the year, but Musk has attempted to block it.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43491547/openais-sam-altman-looks-to-raise-funds-from-abu-dhabis-mgx-amid-increased-competition-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI's Sam Altman Looks To Raise Funds From Abu Dhabi's MGX Amid Increased Competition: Report</a>
In a post on X, OpenAI added that Musk's actions were "bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit."
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Elon's nonstop actions against us are just bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit. Today, we counter-sued to stop him.
&mdash; OpenAI Newsroom (@OpenAINewsroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAINewsroom/status/1910105151492575611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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</figure>
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Why It Matters: OpenAI was co-founded in 2015 by 11 people, including Musk and current CEO Sam Altman. However, Musk parted ways with the company in 2018, prior to its rise as a major tech player following the release of ChatGPT.
In 2023, Musk founded his separate artificial intelligence company, xAI, and has since opposed OpenAI&#8217;s shift toward a for-profit structure.
Earlier this year, OpenAI&#8217;s board rejected a <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43755069/openai-board-rejects-elon-musks-97-billion-acquisition-proposal-days-after-sam-altman-calls-it-a-move-to-slow-down-a-competitor">$97 billion acquisition proposal</a> from Musk, which was seen as an attempt to slow down a competitor.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has also finalized a historic <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">$40 billion funding round</a>, elevating its valuation to $300 billion. This funding is backed by major players like Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>).
Image via Shutterstock
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Legal

Elon Musk Sued By Sam Altman-Led OpenAI Over 'Harassing' Tactics: ChatGPT Maker Alleges Tesla CEO 'Tried Every Tool' Available To Cause Harm

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions to acquire the AI hardware startup co-founded by Jony Ive and Sam Altman in a deal worth approximately $500 million.
What Happened: OpenAI is considering purchasing io Products, a company that focuses on creating AI-enabled devices, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/07/openai-reportedly-mulls-buying-jony-ive-and-sam-altmans-ai-hardware-startup/?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAD_uBwDYVYnR2c7KWaVm_nY-ox0apur5w8aw4jUS-Oy0OFvTa8r9WhYT944FJeyI5KNKwEaGPaLH64zjhG8FdXJ3ZOX0R_0cINQS_QTsFXKDNzdnHfyKzDhjiF_N-aVQOYsGzbLYnTj9mgv0coigBvdnJ-nJ77e2KDSUrkWafSx-">reported</a> TechCrunch (<a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-discussed-buying-jony-ive-sam-altmans-ai-device-startup">via</a> The Information).
The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40973399/apples-former-design-maestro-jony-ive-confirms-hes-joined-forces-with-openais-sam-altman-for-a-new-a">startup was co-founded</a> by former Apple design lead Ive, who left the tech giant in 2019 to start his own design firm, LoveFrom, and OpenAI CEO Altman.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
io Products, which has received funding from Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective and others, has been developing a range of products, including smart home gadgets.
The report indicates that OpenAI may choose to partner with io Products instead of acquiring it outright. The small team at io Products includes former Apple designers Tang Tan and Evans Hankey.
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Why It Matters: Earlier this year, OpenAI closed a historic $40 billion funding round, pushing its <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">valuation to $300 billion</a>, with major backing from SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and other prominent investors.
According to research firm PitchBook, this marks the largest funding round ever recorded and nearly doubles OpenAI's previous valuation of $157 billion.
OpenAI is reportedly projecting its revenue to reach $12.7 billion this year. The company also announced that its enterprise versions of ChatGPT now have 1 million paying users, alongside the introduction of a new $200-per-month &#8220;Pro&#8221; plan offering access to its most advanced AI models.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/25/03/44554189/openai-and-microsoft-back-mcp-standard-in-major-shift-toward-interoperable-ai-agents-that-can-think-click-and-navigate-the-web-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-appears-to-be-mulling-over-it-in-shakespearean-fashion-to-mcp-or-not-to-mcp">OpenAI And Microsoft Back MCP Standard For Web-Surfing AI Agents; Google&#8217;s Sundar Pichai Asks A Shakespearean Question</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

OpenAI Eyes $500 Million Deal To Acquire Jony Ive And Sam Altman's AI Hardware Startup: Report

The White House is set to hold a meeting with key officials to discuss the future of&nbsp;TikTok, as the app faces an April 5 deadline to secure a non-Chinese <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/04/44599624/tiktok-clock-ticks-louder-as-deadline-approaches-trump-to-consider-final-proposal-as-private-equity-firms-bid-for-platform" rel="noreferrer noopener">buyer or&nbsp;face a potential U.S. ban</a>.
China announced a series of retaliatory measures on Friday in response to President&nbsp;Donald Trump‘s tariffs on Chinese goods, escalating the trade conflict <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44647999/trumps-tariff-war-could-take-us-tech-industry-back-a-decade-while-china-steam-rolls-ahead-analyst-says" rel="noreferrer noopener">between the two&nbsp;largest global economies</a>.&nbsp;
President&nbsp;Donald Trump‘s 25% tariffs on auto imports have sent shockwaves through the integrated North American automotive supply chain, prompting&nbsp;divergent responses from major manufacturers&nbsp;as United Auto <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/04/44642355/trumps-25-auto-tariffs-spark-stellantis-layoffs-gm-expansion-uaws-shawn-fain-calls-job-cuts-completely-unnecessary" rel="noreferrer noopener">Workers leadership criticizes job cuts</a>.
Gaming &amp; Smartphones
Nintendo ADR (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NTDOY#OTC">NTDOY</a>)&nbsp;announced key details surrounding the&nbsp;Switch 2&nbsp;during Nintendo Direct, revealing a June 5<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/25/04/44609298/nintendo-switch-2-price-release-date-specs-new-games-revealed" rel="noreferrer noopener"> launch date and a $450 price tag</a>.
The standard console will be accompanied by a $500 bundle that includes a digital copy of&nbsp;Mario Kart World, the first installment in the beloved franchise built exclusively for the new hardware.
Apple Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) has officially released&nbsp;iOS 18.4,&nbsp;iPadOS 18.4,&nbsp;macOS 15.4, and&nbsp;VisionOS 2.4, bringing a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/44579491/ios-18-4-is-now-live-with-new-emojis-apple-news-food-and-priority-ai-notifications-alongside-vision-pro-updates-what-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">range of new features to its devices</a>.
Social Media &amp; Auto
YouTube&nbsp;star&nbsp;Jimmy Donalson, popularly known as&nbsp;MrBeast, pulled a dark yet humorous April Fool&#8217;s prank that involved burning 20 million trees and blinding 1,000 kids, but it was all in jest and a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44601201/mrbeast-drops-dark-april-fools-joke-about-burning-20-million-trees-and-blinding-1000-kids-but-its-all-a-callback-to-his-philanthropic-work" rel="noreferrer noopener">reference to his past charitable efforts</a>.
Ford (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) announced it will extend employee pricing to all car shoppers, a move that coincides with the implementation of new 25% U.S. tariffs on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44641009/ford-launches-from-america-for-america-discount-program-as-tariffs-threaten-vehicle-price-surge" rel="noreferrer noopener">imported vehicles and auto parts</a>.
Technology
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee is set to hold a hearing next week to examine&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg-led&nbsp;Meta Platforms, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) alleged efforts to establish a presence in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/04/44620411/mark-zuckerberg-led-meta-set-to-face-truth-at-senate-hearing-over-china-operations-and-communist-party-censorship-efforts" rel="noreferrer noopener">China and its ties to censorship tools</a>.
Meta is reportedly gearing up to release an over $1,000 version of its smart glasses to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44599475/meta-is-planning-to-drop-1000-smart-glasses-to-disrupt-apples-ar-ambitions-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">further challenge&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44599475/meta-is-planning-to-drop-1000-smart-glasses-to-disrupt-apples-ar-ambitions-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple&#8217;s&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44599475/meta-is-planning-to-drop-1000-smart-glasses-to-disrupt-apples-ar-ambitions-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">AR ambitions</a>.
At Intel&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) Vision 2025 conference, the company revealed that it had entered the &#8220;risk production&#8221; phase for its<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/44600131/intels-stock-plummeted-50-in-past-12-months-now-the-lip-bu-tan-led-company-is-betting-on-18a-chip-breakthrough-were-freezing-it" rel="noreferrer noopener"> 18A process node,&nbsp;reported&nbsp;Tom&#8217;s Hardware</a>.
Intel&#8217;s Lip-Bu Tan&nbsp;made bold promises about the company&#8217;s future during his first public speech as CEO on Monday, highlighting a&nbsp;major cultural overhaul&nbsp;and signaling potential support from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44577045/intels-new-ceo-lip-bu-tan-says-trump-administration-ready-to-help-beleagured-chipmaker-warns-bureaucracy-kills-innovation" rel="noreferrer noopener">the&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44577045/intels-new-ceo-lip-bu-tan-says-trump-administration-ready-to-help-beleagured-chipmaker-warns-bureaucracy-kills-innovation" rel="noreferrer noopener">Donald Trump&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44577045/intels-new-ceo-lip-bu-tan-says-trump-administration-ready-to-help-beleagured-chipmaker-warns-bureaucracy-kills-innovation" rel="noreferrer noopener">administration.</a>
Microsoft Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) has paused discussions and postponed the development of sites in Indonesia, the U.K., Australia, Illinois, North Dakota and Wisconsin, Bloomberg&nbsp;reported, citing unnamed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/44645946/microsoft-halts-data-center-expansions-due-to-semiconductor-tariff-concerns-ai-overcapacity-fears" rel="noreferrer noopener">sources familiar with the matter</a>.
Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s&nbsp;Google&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) removed the mailing list for the&nbsp;Bitcoin&nbsp;developer group&nbsp;Bitcoindev, citing "policy violations," prompting&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44643317/google-removes-bitcoin-developer-mailing-list-for-policy-violations-jack-dorsey-calls-out-sundar-pichai-for-censorship" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jack Dorsey</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44643317/google-removes-bitcoin-developer-mailing-list-for-policy-violations-jack-dorsey-calls-out-sundar-pichai-for-censorship" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;to call out the company's approach</a>.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>) is reportedly set to acquire a 20% stake in a new joint venture with&nbsp;Intel, aimed at addressing the&nbsp;U.S. chipmaker&#8217;s ongoing struggles, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44640394/tsmc-to-take-20-stake-in-joint-venture-with-intel-amid-us-chipmakers-struggles-with-188-billion-net-loss-in-2024-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">including its $18.8 billion net loss in 2024</a>.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Sentient, a San Francisco-based AI development lab backed by&nbsp;Peter Thiel&#8217;s Founder's Fund, has unveiled its open-source AI search framework, positioning its work <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/04/44620834/peter-thiel-backed-nonprofit-sentient-aims-to-be-americas-deepseek-takes-aim-at-closed-ai-systems" rel="noreferrer noopener">as a response to China&#8217;s&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/04/44620834/peter-thiel-backed-nonprofit-sentient-aims-to-be-americas-deepseek-takes-aim-at-closed-ai-systems" rel="noreferrer noopener">DeepSeek</a>.
OpenAI&nbsp;has finalized a record-setting $40 billion funding round, boosting the company&#8217;s valuation to $300 billion, with major investments from&nbsp;SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>),&nbsp;Microsoft, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft" rel="noreferrer noopener">and other key backers</a>.
OpenAI&nbsp;CEO&nbsp;Sam Altman&nbsp;announced that the company plans to release its new open-weight language model with reasoning capabilities in the coming months. This decision might have been driven by the&nbsp;impressive success of&nbsp;DeepSeek's R1&nbsp;model and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44577187/sam-altman-led-openai-releases-open-weight-ai-model-with-reasoning-capabilities-as-deepseek-and-meta-taste-success" rel="noreferrer noopener">growing popularity of&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44577187/sam-altman-led-openai-releases-open-weight-ai-model-with-reasoning-capabilities-as-deepseek-and-meta-taste-success" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meta's&nbsp;Llama</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44577187/sam-altman-led-openai-releases-open-weight-ai-model-with-reasoning-capabilities-as-deepseek-and-meta-taste-success" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;models</a>.
Last week, in a direct response to growing speculation online,&nbsp;Perplexity&nbsp;CEO&nbsp;Aravind Srinivas&nbsp;took to&nbsp;Reddit Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RDDT#NYSE">RDDT</a>)&nbsp;to deny rumors that the AI search company is facing financial trouble<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44557415/perplexity-ceo-aravind-srinivas-shuts-down-financial-rumors-on-reddit-says-ai-search-startup-has-no-plans-of-ipoing-before-2028" rel="noreferrer noopener"> or preparing for an imminent IPO</a>.
As industry giants like&nbsp;Microsoft and OpenAI throw their weight behind a rising AI protocol,&nbsp;Alphabet&#8217;s CEO has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44554189/openai-and-microsoft-back-mcp-standard-in-major-shift-toward-interoperable-ai-agents-that-can-think-click-and-navigate-the-web-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-appears-to-be-mulling-over-it-in-shakespearean-fashion-to-mcp-or-not-to-mcp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offered a cryptic but telling response</a>.
Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/03/44553924/tesla-bull-pierre-ferragu-predicts-113-combined-market-cap-of-elon-musks-ai-startup-xai-and-x-will-look-tiny-in-few-years-so-much-potential" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla Bull Pierre Ferragu Predicts $113 Billion Combined Market Cap Of Elon Musk&#8217;s AI Startup xAI And X Will Look &#8216;Tiny&#8217; In Few Years: &#8216;So Much Potential&#8217;</a>
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Consumer Tech News (Mar 31-Apr 4): China Plans Retaliation Against Trump's Tariffs Change, Meta To Release $1,000 Version Of Its Smart Glasses & More

Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) has paused discussions and postponed the development of sites in Indonesia, the U.K., Australia, Illinois, North Dakota and Wisconsin, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-03/microsoft-pulls-back-on-data-centers-from-chicago-to-jakarta?srnd=phx-technology&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The stock is trading lower on Friday amid President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/44631606/trumps-tariff-exemptions-include-semiconductors-pharmaceuticals-oil-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">semiconductor tariff announcements</a>.
Microsoft recently dumped negotiations to lease space between London and Cambridge to host advanced NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) chips, Bloomberg cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44523216/microsoft-plans-proprietary-ai-to-power-business-software-and-reduce-openai-dependence-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft Plans Proprietary AI To Power Business Software And Reduce OpenAI Dependence: Report</a>
The company has also halted negotiations for data center space near Chicago.
Microsoft recently ditched a proposal to obtain more cloud-computing capacity from CoreWeave, its CEO Michael Intrator, told Bloomberg.
Microsoft has paused work on parts of a data center campus near Jakarta.
Microsoft has also postponed its planned expansion at a Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, site.
Microsoft has postponed negotiations, including a deal for a server farm complex in North Dakota with Applied Digital Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APLD#NASDAQ">APLD</a>) and Ada Infrastructure&#8217;s Docklands data center&nbsp;in London.
A Microsoft spokesperson told Bloomberg that Microsoft&#8217;s $3.3 billion project in Wisconsin will likely come online in 2026. A company spokesperson in Jakarta told Bloomberg that Microsoft&#8217;s planned Indonesia Central cloud region is on track to go live in the second quarter of 2025.
In March, TD Cowen analysts told Bloomberg that Microsoft postponed new <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44515782/microsoft-halts-expansion-plans-yet-analysts-still-rank-it-among-top-investment-picks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data center projects</a> in the U.S. and Europe, signaling potential AI computing overcapacity.
In February, the analysts highlighted leases Microsoft had abandoned in the U.S. They described the latest move as the company&#8217;s choice to forgo some new business from ChatGPT maker OpenAI.
TD Cowen&#8217;s supply chain checks indicated Microsoft&#8217;s pullback has led to Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google and  Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) to backfill the capacity in international markets.
Chinese upstart DeepSeeks&#8217;s open-source AI model led to Wall Street questioning the sustainability of Microsoft, Meta and Amazon.com Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) capex outlays on AI models.
Microsoft stock is down 11% year-to-date. Reportedly, SoftBank (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) may become OpenAI's top backer, surpassing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44513286/softbank-may-want-to-outdo-microsoft-with-40-billion-investment-in-openais-latest-funding-round">Microsoft's $14 billion stake</a>.
MSFT Price Action: MSFT stock was down 2.17% at $365 premarket Friday at publication.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44513286/softbank-may-want-to-outdo-microsoft-with-40-billion-investment-in-openais-latest-funding-round" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44627035/pony-ai-teams-up-with-luxembourg-transit-giant-to-launch-level-4-autonomous-vehicle-trials" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pony AI Teams Up With Luxembourg Transit Giant to Launch Level 4 Autonomous Vehicle Trials</a></li>
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