OpenAI To Acquire Former Apple Designer’s Company For $6.5 Billion

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, announced on Wednesday the acquisition of the company io for $6.5 billion. The startup, co-founded over a year ago by former Apple designer Jony Ive, was created to develop new AI devices. The all-stock deal represents OpenAI’s largest investment to date.

Last year, OpenAI announced it began collaborating with Ive—known for his iconic iPhone design and vision for future technologies—and his company LoveFrom on a secret project related to generative AI devices. Ive also co-founded io, a separate AI-focused venture, alongside designers Evans Hankey, Scott Cannon, and Tang Tan, which has now been acquired by OpenAI.

OpenAI announced the acquisition with a personal touch: a cinematic video featuring a conversation between Ive and Altman in San Francisco, and a poem-like joint statement accompanied by a photo of the two as friends, highlighting the close relationship they have built over the past few years. Ive will remain the design leader of the company.

“I think we have the opportunity to kind of completely reimagine what it means to use a computer,” says Altman’s voice at the beginning of the video.

“The products that we’re using to deliver and connect us to unimaginable technology. They’re decades old, yeah, and so it’s just common sense to at least think surely there’s something beyond these legacy products we have,” adds Ive.

Sam & Jony introduce io pic.twitter.com/ej5K59kJq3

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 21, 2025

Ive’s mission will focus on developing devices that integrate ChatGPT, taking into account the current capabilities of AI systems—including reasoning, processing different types of information, and “seeing” through device cameras—as well as the future potential of the technology.

“The io team, focused on developing products that inspire, empower, and enable, will now merge with OpenAI to work more closely with the research, engineering, and product teams in San Francisco,” states the document signed “Sam & Jony.”

“The io team, focused on developing products that inspire, empower and enable, will now merge with OpenAI to work more intimately with the research, engineering and product teams in San Francisco,” states the document signed “Sam & Jony.”

“As io merges with OpenAI, Jony and LoveFrom will assume deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io. We could not possibly be more excited.”

According to Reuters, the companies didn’t disclose the full financial details, only the $6.5 billion all-stock deal, as revealed by a source familiar with the matter.

The leaders didn’t share specifics of the AI devices they are developing either, but Altam said in the video they already have a prototype and described it as “the coolest piece of technology the world will have ever seen.”