OpenAI has issued a public warning regarding the “OpenAI tokens” being offered for sale on the Robinhood platform. In an official statement, the company emphasized that these tokens do not represent OpenAI’s shares and that OpenAI has no affiliation with this initiative.
“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” the company stated on its official X (formerly Twitter) account. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this sale, and do not endorse it. Any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — and no such approval has been granted. We urge users to be cautious.”
Earlier this week, Robinhood announced that it would begin offering tokenized shares of private companies such as OpenAI and SpaceX to users in the European Union. Robinhood framed this as an opportunity for everyday investors to gain “indirect exposure” to leading private companies.
However, OpenAI made it clear that these tokens are not real shares and that the company was not involved in any part of the process. According to Robinhood, the tokens are linked to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that holds shares of OpenAI. This setup does not grant direct ownership, but instead provides digital instruments tied to the value of OpenAI shares.
Robinhood’s Help Center also states that users purchasing these tokens are not acquiring actual stocks, but rather tokenized contracts that follow the stock’s price and are recorded on a blockchain.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev described the initiative as “the beginning of a tokenization revolution,” adding that many private companies have expressed interest in joining the movement.
OpenAI declined to provide any further comment.
This incident highlights how private companies take unauthorized equity sales seriously and underscores the need for investors to approach such offers with caution.
