OpenAI is set to offer retail investors a chance to buy shares through exchange-traded funds managed by Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest, amidst its historic funding round totaling $122 billion. This move addresses ongoing criticisms of retail investors being excluded from significant tech successes, as VC-backed firms remain private longer. Emily Zheng, a senior research analyst at PitchBook, highlights this approach as a strategic response to high demand among investors for access to top startups while simplifying complexity by routing investments through banks and funds. Additionally, Robinhood has introduced its closed-end Ventures Fund I, allowing exposure to private companies like Databricks and Stripe. However, OpenAI has also sold $3 billion in shares to wealthy clients of major banks. This initiative aims to democratize investment opportunities, sharing the economic benefits of OpenAI and the broader AI industry with a wider audience.
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