Written by: Micah Abiodun, Cryptopolitan

OpenAI is expected to reduce payments to Microsoft by approximately $97 billion by 2030 after renegotiating its partnership agreement last October.

This figure highlights the financial impact of the agreement adjustments disclosed by both parties last October; on the 5th of that month, OpenAI transitioned to a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) overseen by its nonprofit foundation.

OpenAI initially committed to sharing 20% of its revenue with Microsoft before 2030, a total that could amount to as much as $135 billion.

The newly revised terms impose restrictions on such revenue-sharing payments and decouple them from milestones related to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI); previously, these milestones could have triggered higher payments.

OpenAI Reduces Microsoft’s Share Percentage

OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar informed investors that by 2030, the company expects to share about 8% to 10% of its revenue with all partners, including Microsoft, down from the current 20%.

This decline mainly stems from two fundamental changes: a lower revenue-sharing percentage and a clear cap on total payments.

The previous agreement included an AGI clause: if an independent group determined that OpenAI had achieved AGI, this clause could have significantly altered the financial arrangements between the two parties.

Under the revised terms, although AGI certification would still terminate certain rights Microsoft has on OpenAI's research-related intellectual property, it no longer triggers an increase in the revenue-sharing percentage.

Restructuring of the Agreement

According to a report by Cryptopolitan last October, the restructuring granted Microsoft a 27% stake in OpenAI Group PBC, valued at approximately $135 billion; in exchange, OpenAI committed to procure $250 billion worth of Azure cloud services.

Microsoft will also retain access rights to related intellectual property until 2032.

OpenAI Expands Cloud Service Options

The renegotiated agreement removes Microsoft’s status as the exclusive cloud computing service provider for OpenAI.

According to the company announcement, OpenAI's products will still be prioritized for release on Azure, "unless Microsoft cannot and chooses not to provide the necessary capabilities."

However, at the same time, OpenAI is now also allowed to provide related services to enterprises through Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud.

This change has already sparked some tensions. The Financial Times reported that Microsoft considered legal action against Amazon and OpenAI regarding a $50 billion deal; this deal granted exclusive third-party cloud service rights to OpenAI's Frontier enterprise AI platform.

Microsoft believes that the collaboration requires OpenAI's API products to operate on Azure, while OpenAI argues that Frontier is a non-API service and can therefore be deployed on other platforms.

Microsoft Replaces Revenue Sharing with Equity and Access Rights

Under the new arrangement, Microsoft will no longer receive equivalent revenue sharing from OpenAI.

Microsoft's main returns now include: a 27% equity stake, OpenAI's commitment to purchase $250 billion of Azure services, and access to intellectual property until 2032.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives characterized the restructuring as “overall beneficial for Microsoft,” as the agreement “ensures Microsoft’s control over OpenAI technology for the next six years,” while also reducing structural uncertainties in this long-term partnership.

Additionally, the Financial Times reported that Amazon is considering investing up to $50 billion in OpenAI as part of a larger strategic collaboration, indicating that OpenAI's cloud service diversification is altering the investment landscape beyond Microsoft.

Paving the Way for a Potential IPO

OpenAI is also preparing for a potential initial public offering (IPO) in the fourth quarter.

Dan Ives believes that Azure’s exclusivity and the revenue-sharing upgrade terms linked to AGI were significant structural barriers to OpenAI’s public listing.

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