OpenAI has successfully closed a significant funding round, raising $6.6 billion and nearly doubling its valuation to an impressive $157 billion. This massive funding effort involved investments from technology giants including Microsoft, Nvidia, and SoftBank, with SoftBank contributing $500 million. Notably, Apple has opted out of the investment talks, which has raised eyebrows within the industry. The funding round marks one of the largest in venture capital history, propelling OpenAI forward as it aims to build even larger AI models, amidst ongoing discussions about the future of artificial intelligence.