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    The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI Partner on Sora

    (openai.com)
    236 points inesranzo | 11 comments | 11 Dec 25 14:05 UTC | HN request time: 0.006s | source | bottom
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    postalcoder ◴[11 Dec 25 14:45 UTC] No.46232000[source]▶
    buried the lede:

    > As part of the agreement, Disney will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, and receive warrants to purchase additional equity.

    I say this with no snark or disdain: Sam has mastered the art of the flywheel.

    Re licensed ai videos, if anyone wants to see the perspective the C-suites are being sold on, check out this episode of Belloni's The Town, in which they discuss the vision for AI + IP https://overcast.fm/+AA4DU9JreIE

    replies(4): >>46232103 #>>46238050 #>>46238449 #>>46241971 #
    1. npollock ◴[11 Dec 25 22:52 UTC] No.46238449[source]▶
    Disney said "Our IP is $1B for a 3yr license, or we sue"

    Altman said "We can pay with equity, but let's frame it as an investment"

    No cash exchanged

    replies(4): >>46238851 #>>46238916 #>>46239310 #>>46239580 #
    2. robots0only ◴[11 Dec 25 23:31 UTC] No.46238851[source]▶
    This is probably very similar to what happened!
    3. ◴[11 Dec 25 23:38 UTC] No.46238916[source]▶
    4. redwood ◴[12 Dec 25 00:18 UTC] No.46239310[source]▶
    Disney loves the idea of giving investors an angle to bet on AI
    5. richard___ ◴[12 Dec 25 00:52 UTC] No.46239580[source]▶
    Disney is actually paying $1B so it makes no sense. OpenAI gets the IP plus $1B.
    replies(2): >>46239731 #>>46243020 #
    6. javawizard ◴[12 Dec 25 01:17 UTC] No.46239731[source]▶
    I'm actually curious, how do we know for a fact that this is the case?
    replies(1): >>46240691 #
    7. DANmode ◴[12 Dec 25 03:49 UTC] No.46240691{3}[source]▶
    Could you elaborate?

    Do you mean to say they’ll never take the payment?

    replies(2): >>46240795 #>>46240818 #
    8. ◴[12 Dec 25 04:12 UTC] No.46240795{4}[source]▶
    9. Thrymr ◴[12 Dec 25 04:17 UTC] No.46240818{4}[source]▶
    What are the terms? It is not at all clear from the announcement. "part of this three-year licensing agreement", it _could_ mean the license cost is $1 billion, which Disney in turn invests in OpenAI in return for equity, and they're calling it "investment" (that's what's hypothesized above, but I don't think we know). Disney surely gets something for the license other than the privilege of buying $1 billion in OpenAI stock at their most recent valuation price.
    replies(1): >>46241037 #
    10. DANmode ◴[12 Dec 25 05:05 UTC] No.46241037{5}[source]▶
    Yeah - they save face.
    11. KeplerBoy ◴[12 Dec 25 11:15 UTC] No.46243020[source]▶
    Disney gets to invest $1B pre-IPO, in what might become an even more valuable company (or crash and burn, we'll see).