OpenAI Raised $122 Billion on Monday. SNAP Cut Refugees Off Food Aid on Tuesday.
OpenAI raised $122 billion on March 31. SNAP cut refugees off food aid on April 1. Two infrastructure bets in opposite directions in 24 hours.
OpenAI Raised $122 Billion on Monday. SNAP Cut Refugees Off Food Aid on Tuesday. OpenAI raised $122 billion on March 31. SNAP cut refugees off food aid on April 1. Two infrastructure bets in opposite directions in 24 hours. Aaron Rafferty April 02, 2026 Key Takeaways: OpenAI closed the largest private funding round in history at $122 billion and an $852 billion valuation on March 31, backed by Amazon ($50B), Nvidia ($30B), and SoftBank ($30B). On April 1, SNAP noncitizen eligibility restrictions took effect in Illinois and remaining states, part of a $186 billion cut to food assistance over 10 years. OpenAI is generating $2 billion in monthly revenue with 900 million weekly active users. SNAP serves 39 million Americans, roughly $210 per month per recipient. OpenAI closed $122 billion in committed capital on March 31 at an $852 billion post-money valuation, the largest private funding round in history. Amazon invested $50 billion, Nvidia put in $30 billion, and SoftBank committed $30 billion. The company is generating $2 billion in monthly revenue , has 900 million weekly active users, and is building what it calls a unified AI "superapp." Twenty-four hours later, on April 1, refugees and asylum seekers in Illinois and remaining states lost eligibility for SNAP food assistance under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law cuts $186 billion from the program over 10 years, the largest reduction in SNAP's 60-year history. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 2.4 million people will be cut from the program in a typical month. The numbers run in parallel. OpenAI raised $122 billion in one round. SNAP is losing $186 billion over a decade. OpenAI's $852 billion valuation places it alongside Berkshire Hathaway. SNAP's monthly benefit averages roughly $210 per p