AI sector becomes billionaire-making machine

The number of private artificial intelligence (AI) companies valued at over $1 billion has neared 500 as of 2025, according to data from the analytics platform CB Insights, cited by Computerworld. Remarkably, 100 of these firms were established within the past two years alone.

Together, these companies represent an estimated total value of around $2.7 trillion. Among them, 100 have already achieved “unicorn” status despite being founded after 2023, highlighting the sector’s rapid expansion amid surging investor interest.

Additionally, more than 1,300 AI startups now carry valuations of $100 million or more.

High-profile companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Anysphere, and Safe Superintelligence have secured substantial investments in recent funding rounds. These deals have significantly increased the net worth of founders and key shareholders, some of whom have already become multi-billionaires, at least on paper, Computerworld noted.

Unlike the dot-com era, many of today’s AI startups remain private for longer periods, relying on venture capital, sovereign wealth funds, and private investors for financing.

Shareholder liquidity is facilitated through secondary markets and mergers and acquisitions.

The majority of these companies are concentrated in the San Francisco area, long recognized as the global hub of the technology industry.

By Tamilla Hasanova