Posted by Alumni from TechCrunch
April 28, 2026
On Monday, Microsoft and OpenAI announced that they have, once again, renegotiated the deal binding the two companies. Despite some opinions on X that frame it as a victory for the ChatGPT maker over the Windows giant, both sides are walking away winners. With this new deal, instead of Microsoft having exclusive access to all of OpenAI's products and IP until the magical day when OpenAI produces AGI, its partnership has a definitive timeline. This contract gives Microsoft a nonexclusive license to OpenAI IP for models and products through 2032. The two companies are still calling Microsoft OpenAI's 'primary cloud partner,' meaning that the bulk of OpenAI's cloud will likely be served by Azure for the six years this deal covers, even as OpenAI rushes to build its own data centers with other partners. In October, OpenAI agreed to buy an additional $250 billion worth of Microsoft's cloud. This line is a message to Microsoft shareholders that OpenAI will still be an enormous Azure... learn more