OpenAI has issued a strong statement distancing itself from Robinhood’s latest initiative to offer tokenized shares of private companies, including OpenAI. In a post shared on X, OpenAI clarified that these 'OpenAI tokens' are not actual equity and that the company did not authorize or partner with Robinhood in any capacity.

The company emphasized that any legitimate transfer of equity requires prior approval, which was not obtained in this case. OpenAI’s spokesperson reiterated that the firm has no involvement in facilitating or endorsing this token sale and urged potential investors to proceed with caution.

This response came after Robinhood publicly announced plans to start selling tokenized shares of OpenAI, SpaceX, and other high-profile private firms to investors in the European Union. Robinhood claimed the move was designed to democratize access to private equity via blockchain infrastructure. According to Robinhood, their stock price surged following the news of this initiative.

However, OpenAI pointed out that private firms do not offer shares to the public and thus cannot be represented authentically by tokens without proper consent. In a statement to TechCrunch, Robinhood’s representative clarified that these tokens were part of a limited giveaway tied to Robinhood’s stake in a special purpose vehicle (SPV), not direct OpenAI equity.

While Robinhood may own shares in an SPV that holds OpenAI equity, the tokens themselves do not confer direct ownership. Instead, they represent a derivative structure without voting or equity rights. Despite OpenAI’s disavowal, Robinhood continues its effort, raising important questions about transparency and investor protection in the tokenized equity space.