OpenAI Offering Private Equity Firms 17.5% Guaranteed Return for Enterprise JVs

OpenAI is offering private equity firms a guaranteed 17.5% annual return on enterprise joint ventures, according to Reuters. The deals would see PE firms invest capital alongside OpenAI to build AI-powered business units, with OpenAI guaranteeing minimum returns to attract institutional money. The structure is unusual for a technology company and reflects the intensity of competition for enterprise AI contracts. The guaranteed return model shifts financial risk from investors to OpenAI, suggesting the company is confident in its ability to monetize enterprise deployments.