OpenAI loosens Microsoft ties, opens door to Amazon and Google Cloud

we have updated our partnership with microsoft.

microsoft will remain our primary cloud partner, but we are now able to make our products and services available across all clouds.

will continue to provide them with models and products until 2032, and a revenue share through…

— Sam Altman (@sama) April 27, 2026

Under the renegotiated terms, OpenAI will reportedly gain access to more computing power and added room to scale its enterprise business. This will likely strengthen its position against rivals such as Anthropic. Microsoft, in turn, will secure greater visibility into future revenue, while OpenAI benefits from increased operational flexibility.

Notably, the revised terms remove a clause that would have allowed OpenAI to stop payments to Microsoft upon reaching artificial general intelligence (AGI). 

Microsoft will remain OpenAI’s primary cloud partner and retain a license to its intellectual property through 2032. The company will also receive a guaranteed 20 per cent share of OpenAI’s revenue until 2030, though the total payout will now be capped at an undisclosed level.

Microsoft’s early investment totaling about $13 billion since 2019 helped establish OpenAI as a leading force in AI and fueled growth in its Azure cloud business. However, tensions have been reportedly building as OpenAI began pursuing greater flexibility to partner with cloud providers beyond Microsoft.

Earlier this month, in an internal memo, as reported by CNBC, OpenAI had said that its partnership with Microsoft was key initially but largely restricted its growth in the enterprise segment. The startup said that the demand surged after it began offering its services on Amazon Web Services (AWS). According to analysts, the now updated deal removes barriers for AWS and Google Cloud customers, essentially allowing them to adopt OpenAI tools alongside those from Anthropic.

However, OpenAI still plans to spend at least $250 billion on Microsoft’s Azure cloud through 2032, while Microsoft keeps priority access to host OpenAI models. Consequently, Microsoft will no longer share its Azure revenues with OpenAI. The earlier exclusive setup, which limited how competitors could offer OpenAI models, has now been scrapped, easing tensions and potential legal risks.

Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said OpenAI models will soon be directly available to AWS developers, giving businesses more choice. Besides, OpenAI is also expanding partnerships with companies like Oracle, Alphabet, Nvidia, and Luxshare. At the same time, Microsoft is reducing reliance on OpenAI by building its own AI models and adding alternatives like Anthropic to products such as 365 Copilot.