OpenAI ownership and structure

OpenAI is owned by the OpenAI LP and its parent company, OpenAI Inc. OpenAI started as a non-profit research company, but in 2019, it restructured into a "capped-profit" model. This structure consists of two entities: OpenAI LP (the limited partnership) and OpenAI Inc. (the parent company). The key elements of this structure are as follows:

1. OpenAI LP: This is the limited partnership entity where most of OpenAI's research and development activities take place. It's where the majority of staff are based.
2. OpenAI Inc.: This is the parent company and acts as the sole limited partner of OpenAI LP. Its role is to oversee and provide long-term direction for OpenAI LP.

The capped-profit model was designed to attract capital from investors while still adhering to OpenAI's core mission of ensuring artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. In this model, returns to investors and employees are capped at a certain amount (initially set at 100x of their investment). Once this cap is reached, any additional profits are supposed to be used to benefit the broader society.

As for funding, OpenAI has received significant investment from various sources:

• In 2019, Microsoft announced a $1 billion investment in OpenAI. This partnership was aimed at accelerating advancements in AI technology, with Microsoft becoming OpenAI's exclusive cloud provider.
• OpenAI has also received funding from other sources, including notable venture capitalists and technology leaders. These investments have been crucial in supporting OpenAI's research and development in AI.

The funding and ownership structure of OpenAI supports its mission to develop artificial intelligence in a way that is safe, widely distributed, and beneficial to humanity as a whole.

Response From ChatGPT - Feb 2024