Quick Facts: Sora (OpenAI)
| Owner | OpenAI |
| Product Type | AI text-to-video generation model |
| Launched | February 2024 (preview); December 2024 (public release) |
| Shut Down | March 24, 2026 |
| OpenAI CEO | Sam Altman |
| Key OpenAI Investor | Microsoft (~49% in for-profit entity) |
| OpenAI Type | Private (nonprofit + capped-profit hybrid) |
| Publicly Traded | No |
Who Owned Sora?
Sora was owned and developed by OpenAI, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company best known for creating ChatGPT. OpenAI introduced Sora in February 2024 as a groundbreaking text-to-video AI model capable of generating remarkably realistic short video clips from written prompts — a development that stunned the creative and technology industries. The product received a full public release in December 2024. However, on March 24, 2026, OpenAI shut down Sora, discontinuing the product as part of a strategic shift in its product roadmap. OpenAI is a privately held company and is not listed on any stock exchange.
About OpenAI
OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a nonprofit artificial intelligence research organization by Sam Altman, Elon Musk (who later departed the board), Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, and others. It subsequently created a capped-profit limited partnership structure — OpenAI LP — to attract commercial investment. Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in the entity and holds approximately a 49% stake in the for-profit structure, while the OpenAI nonprofit board retains governance authority over the company’s mission. Sam Altman serves as CEO of OpenAI. The company’s valuation has been estimated at over $150 billion, making it one of the most valuable private companies in the world.
Key Ownership Highlights
- Sora was owned and developed by OpenAI, which is a privately held company with a hybrid nonprofit/for-profit ownership structure.
- OpenAI debuted Sora in February 2024 as a preview for researchers and creatives; the tool received its full public release in December 2024.
- On March 24, 2026, OpenAI shut down Sora, ending the product as part of a strategic realignment of its product portfolio.
- Microsoft holds approximately a 49% stake in OpenAI’s for-profit limited partnership entity — making it the single largest external investor.
- OpenAI is not publicly traded; shares are not available on any stock exchange.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owned Sora?
Sora was owned and operated by OpenAI, the AI company behind ChatGPT. OpenAI is privately held with Sam Altman as CEO. Microsoft holds approximately a 49% stake in OpenAI’s for-profit entity.
When did Sora shut down?
OpenAI shut down Sora on March 24, 2026, discontinuing the product as part of a strategic shift in its product priorities.
What was Sora?
Sora was an AI text-to-video generation model built by OpenAI. It could generate short, highly realistic video clips from written text prompts. It debuted as a research preview in February 2024 and received a full public launch in December 2024 before being shut down in March 2026.
Is OpenAI publicly traded?
No. OpenAI is a privately held company with a hybrid nonprofit/for-profit structure. It is not listed on any stock exchange, though Microsoft is a major investor in its for-profit entity.
