Microsoft's Strategic Reversal: How a $1 Billion OpenAI Bet Became Worth $20 Billion

Microsoft's AI team initially rejected OpenAI's $300 million cloud computing request in 2017, confident in its own research. Eighteen months later, facing competition from Amazon, Microsoft committed $1 billion to the startup. The investment now projects a $20 billion return—a striking validation of a strategic decision made amid real uncertainty about OpenAI's viability.