Amazon is said to be in advanced talks to invest up to $50bn in OpenAI, according to multiple sources. The project, led directly by CEOs Andy Jassy and Sam Altman, would be part of a $100bn funding round aimed at supporting the artificial intelligence company's expansion. The fundraising could be structured in two phases, with the first bringing in strategic partners such as Amazon, Microsoft and Nvidia, followed by a financial tranche involving investors such as SoftBank, which is considering a commitment of up to $30bn.

The investment would complement the e-commerce giant's accelerated AI strategy, as it is already deeply involved with Anthropic, creator of the Claude models, with Amazon serving as its cloud partner via AWS. OpenAI, valued at $500bn after a secondary sale in October, could see its valuation rise further as part of the deal. In parallel, Amazon is pursuing a policy of budget tightening, with 16,000 jobs cut this week, to focus resources on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the agreement could include OpenAI's use of AI chips developed by Amazon, creating new synergies between the two companies. While Amazon remains committed to Anthropic, a strategic partnership with OpenAI would mark a new step in its AI race against rivals. For 2026, Amazon is planning record investments of $125bn, making AI a central pillar of its technology transformation.