Lana

We'll also check in with Carl to get his answers to your burning questions.

More on the way, but first...

Super sparkly unicorn OpenAI just closed a record-breaking $122 billion funding round, lifting its valuation to $852 billion.

Right now, OpenAI is burning cash on chips, data center build-outs, and talent to stay ahead in the AI race.

So this latest cash raise is a necessary refueling.

Most of the funding came from within the AI ecosystem.

Amazon committed $50 billion, and Nvidia and SoftBank kicked in $30 billion each.

That sure makes the AI boom look a little circular.

Part of Amazon's pledge hinges on open AI either achieving artificial general intelligence — think the almost-human Black Mirror type — or going public.

And with ChatGPT's creator eyeing an IPO later this year, the latter may be more likely — and less terrifying.

OpenAI also cracked the door open to retail investors.

$3 billion of this funding came from them.

Plus, its shares will be included in some of ARK Invest's ETFs.

ChatGPT may be everyone's bot bestie, but OpenAI needs to win over businesses if it wants to keep up with Anthropic.

The rival AI lab's clod tools have been gaining favor among corporate types.

And once those things get wired into workspace systems, they're likely to stick.

Those so-called enterprise sales are essential.

They already make up 40% of OpenAI's roughly $2 billion in monthly revenue.

Over the last 25 years, high-growth startups have stayed private for longer, meaning that big institutions feast while regular investors watch through the window.

But an IPO would give everyday folks direct access, while handing a unicorn a fresh pile of money to keep growing.