June 17 - Microsoft (MSFT, Financial) shares edged down 0.7% in Tuesday morning trading as tensions with OpenAI intensified, with disagreements over their partnership structure threatening to derail future collaboration.
OpenAI executives have reportedly discussed accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior and possibly involving federal regulators. At the center of the conflict are disputes over Microsoft's future stake in OpenAI, and access to intellectual property from OpenAI's recent acquisition of Windsurf, a coding startup.
Microsoft has invested $13 billion in OpenAI since 2019, gaining a share of future profits rather than equity. However, the partnership is now under pressure amid OpenAI's pivot toward becoming a public-benefit corporation, after backing off plans to convert into a traditional for-profit company.
The restructuring is a key condition for a $30 billion investment from Japan's SoftBank, which values OpenAI at $300 billion. That funding would support OpenAI's continued use of Microsoft's cloud infrastructure, although OpenAI has also signed deals with other providers including Oracle (ORCL, Financial) and CoreWeave.
Despite the friction, both companies said in a joint statement that talks are ongoing and they remain optimistic about their partnership's future.
