Microsoft’s ‘biggest investment’ of 2023 may be in trouble

Microsoft’s biggest investment of the year 2023 may be in trouble. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Friday, December 8, that it is reviewing whether to launch a merger probe of Microsoft’s investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI, while the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also examining the deal. This means that Microsoft’s big investment in ChatGPT, made earlier this year, is facing challenges in both the US and the UK. Microsoft has invested some $13 billion in OpenAI and integrated its products into its core businesses.

The scrutiny comes in the wake of the recent dramatic boardroom battle at OpenAI that saw the ouster and return of CEO Sam Altman. Microsoft, which owns a 49% stake in OpenAI, has committed to investing more than $10 billion in the company.