Amazon Paying 16x More Per OpenAI Point Than Microsoft Did
Amazon's late entry into the AI race is costing it dearly compared to Microsoft's early OpenAI bet.
Being late to the AI party comes with a brutal price tag. Amazon is shelling out roughly 16 times what Microsoft paid per percentage point of OpenAI ownership — and it's not even getting the same deal.
Microsoft locked in exclusive arrangements with OpenAI early on. Amazon gets none of that. The disparity highlights just how dramatically the cost of entry has ballooned as generative AI valuations have skyrocketed.
The revelation comes amid a flood of mega-deals in the AI space, including Anthropic's massive $30 billion fundraise. The numbers paint a clear picture: first movers in AI infrastructure captured enormous value, while latecomers are now paying eye-watering premiums just to get a seat at the table.
For Amazon, the math is painful but simple — waiting cost billions.