The Information predicts that OpenAI could acquire Pinterest in 2026, marking what would be the company's largest deal to date. This potential acquisition would transform the AI landscape and signal a major shift in how tech giants approach visual search, e-commerce, and digital advertising.
Pinterest has 600 million monthly users and a current market value of approximately $17.5 billion. For OpenAI, this represents an opportunity to expand beyond chatbots into visual discovery, online shopping, and established advertising infrastructure.
Why OpenAI Wants Pinterest
OpenAI's interest in Pinterest centers on three key assets that align with the company's growth strategy.
Image Data Repository
OpenAI would be primarily interested in Pinterest's image data repository, which contains billions of curated images across countless categories. This visual database could enhance OpenAI's image generation tools like DALL-E and support training for future AI models.
Pinterest users actively save, organize, and search for visual content. This behavior creates a rich dataset that shows what images people find valuable and how they categorize visual information.
Advertising Infrastructure
OpenAI is rumored to be launching an advertising business in 2026. Acquiring Pinterest would provide immediate access to proven advertising technology and established relationships with major brands.
Pinterest generated $4.06 billion in revenue over the past year, primarily from advertising. The platform's advertising system targets users based on their interests and purchase intent, making it attractive for retail brands.
E-Commerce Connections
Pinterest has established merchant relationships that OpenAI could use to build shopping features into ChatGPT. Users often browse Pinterest to find products, then make purchases elsewhere. Integrating this shopping behavior directly into AI tools could create new revenue streams.
OpenAI's Acquisition Strategy in 2025
This potential Pinterest deal fits a pattern that emerged throughout 2025. OpenAI has been actively acquiring companies to expand beyond pure AI research.
Recent Major Acquisitions
| Company | Acquisition Price | Strategic Value | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| io (Jony Ive startup) | $6.5 billion | AI hardware devices | May 2025 |
| Statsig | $1.1 billion | Product testing and analytics | September 2025 |
| Software Applications | Undisclosed | Mac AI interface | October 2025 |
| Roi | Undisclosed | Personal finance AI | October 2025 |
| Neptune | Undisclosed | Model training tools | December 2025 |
The io acquisition marked OpenAI's entry into consumer hardware, bringing Apple's former chief designer Jony Ive and his team to create AI-native devices.
The Statsig deal appointed the startup's founding CEO Vijaye Raji as OpenAI's chief technology officer of applications for $1.1 billion. This acquisition strengthened OpenAI's ability to test features and optimize user experiences at scale.
What This Means for Pinterest
Pinterest faces several challenges that make an acquisition appealing to its shareholders.
Slowing Growth
Pinterest faces slowing monthly user and revenue growth, putting it at a disadvantage to competitors like Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon. The platform struggles to compete against Instagram, Google, and Amazon in their respective domains.
Pinterest's Q3 2025 revenue of $1.05 billion met expectations, but adjusted earnings of 38 cents per share fell short. Analysts worry about macroeconomic uncertainty affecting advertising spending.
Competitive Pressures
ChatGPT has taken user time and attention, often at the expense of consumer apps like Pinterest. Users increasingly turn to AI chatbots for product recommendations and visual inspiration instead of traditional platforms.
Google launched a Pinterest-like feature in 2025, adding another competitor in the visual discovery space. Pinterest needs resources to compete against these tech giants.
Ownership Structure
Pinterest co-founders Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra control roughly two-thirds of the company's voting shares, with Silbermann no longer involved in day-to-day operations. This concentrated control makes deal negotiations simpler than companies with dispersed ownership.
Financial Implications
The acquisition would represent a significant investment for OpenAI, but the company has resources to make it happen.
OpenAI's Financial Position
In April 2025, OpenAI raised $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation, the highest-value private technology deal in history. Investors included SoftBank, Microsoft, Coatue, Altimeter, and Thrive.
The company reported annualized revenue of $12 billion in July 2025, up from $3.7 billion in 2024. This growth came from ChatGPT subscriptions and enterprise customers.
In October 2025, OpenAI completed an employee share sale that valued the company at $500 billion, making it the most valuable privately owned company globally.
Pinterest's Valuation Metrics
| Metric | Current Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | ~$17.5 billion | Similar to early 2023 levels |
| Stock Price | ~$25 | Trading near 5-year lows |
| P/E Ratio | 9.22 | Close to historical low |
| Revenue (12 months) | $4.06 billion | Advertising-driven |
| Users | 600 million | Monthly active users |
Pinterest's P/E ratio is 9.22, close to its five-year low, indicating potential undervaluation. This makes the timing attractive for a buyer.
Analysts currently see a potential 47% upside in Pinterest stock for 2026, though this prediction doesn't account for an acquisition premium.
Strategic Benefits for OpenAI
Acquiring Pinterest would accelerate several of OpenAI's strategic initiatives.
Visual AI Enhancement
Pinterest's digital scrapbooking features could complement OpenAI's image and video generation tools. The platform's organization system shows how people naturally categorize and relate visual concepts.
ChatGPT could integrate Pinterest's visual search capabilities, allowing users to find products or ideas through image-based queries. This competes directly with Google Lens and similar tools.
Revenue Diversification
OpenAI currently relies heavily on ChatGPT subscriptions and API usage. Adding Pinterest's advertising revenue creates a third major income stream that's less dependent on computing costs.
The advertising business also provides cash flow that's more predictable than subscription growth. Brands sign annual or quarterly contracts, creating revenue visibility.
Data Advantage
Pinterest's image collection represents user preferences across millions of products and topics. This data could train future AI models to better understand consumer interests and visual aesthetics.
The platform also shows purchase intent signals. When users save products to boards, they signal interest that's valuable for both AI recommendations and advertising targeting.
Market Reaction and Analysis
The prediction sparked immediate interest in financial markets.
Pinterest shares rose nearly 2.6% following The Information's prediction. Investors see potential value in an acquisition premium over the current stock price.
However, analysts remain cautious. Rosenblatt Securities analyst Barton Crockett raised concerns about how the "explosion of chatbot capabilities" could impact Pinterest and create "an existential risk" to the stock. He rates Pinterest as a Hold with a $30 price target.
Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak maintains an Overweight rating with a $32 price target, seeing catalysts that could sustain Pinterest into 2026. His optimism reflects belief in the platform's unique positioning despite headwinds.
Competitive Landscape
This potential acquisition reflects broader competition in the AI industry.
OpenAI vs. Google
The acquisition would help OpenAI compete against AI heavyweights like Google. Google already integrates visual search across its products and launched Pinterest-like features in 2025.
By acquiring Pinterest, OpenAI gains established user behavior and brand relationships that would take years to build organically. This shortcut could help close Google's advantage in visual search.
Microsoft's Role
Microsoft owns a 27% stake in OpenAI valued at $135 billion. As OpenAI's largest investor, Microsoft would likely support an acquisition that strengthens OpenAI's competitive position.
Microsoft already provides cloud infrastructure to OpenAI. Adding Pinterest's advertising capabilities could also benefit Microsoft's own advertising business through knowledge sharing.
Challenges and Risks
Several obstacles could prevent this acquisition from happening.
Regulatory Scrutiny
A $17.5 billion acquisition would attract attention from antitrust regulators. Authorities increasingly scrutinize big tech deals, especially when they involve companies with market power.
OpenAI's growing dominance in AI and Pinterest's position in social media could trigger extended regulatory review. The Federal Trade Commission has blocked or challenged several recent tech mergers.
Integration Complexity
Pinterest operates a complex platform with hundreds of millions of users. Integrating it with OpenAI's systems while maintaining service quality would be challenging.
Cultural differences between the companies could also create friction. Pinterest has a consumer product focus, while OpenAI has emphasized research and enterprise applications.
Financial Considerations
OpenAI projects an $8 billion operating loss in 2025 despite strong revenue growth. The company's cash burn remains high due to computational costs for training and running AI models.
Adding Pinterest would increase operational complexity and potentially distract from core AI development. Some investors might prefer OpenAI focus on profitability rather than expansion.
What Happens Next
The prediction represents informed speculation rather than confirmed plans. No official discussions between OpenAI and Pinterest have been announced.
Several factors will influence whether this acquisition materializes:
Market Conditions: If Pinterest's stock continues declining, the acquisition becomes more financially attractive. Conversely, if the stock rallies significantly, the deal becomes less appealing.
Strategic Priorities: OpenAI must decide whether visual search and advertising align with its long-term mission. The company originally focused on developing artificial general intelligence, not building consumer products.
Alternative Paths: Pinterest could also attract interest from other buyers. Amazon, Microsoft, or Oracle might see value in the platform's e-commerce connections and advertising technology.
Financial Performance: Both companies' financial results in early 2026 will affect deal viability. Strong growth from OpenAI and continued struggles at Pinterest would make an acquisition more likely.
Investment Implications
For investors watching both companies, this potential acquisition creates several scenarios to consider.
Pinterest Shareholders: An acquisition would likely occur at a premium to current prices. Pinterest shares trade around $25, giving it a market cap of roughly $17.5 billion. Typical acquisition premiums range from 20% to 40%, suggesting a sale price between $30 and $35 per share.
OpenAI Stakeholders: The deal would dilute existing OpenAI shareholders if structured as stock. However, it could accelerate revenue growth and provide a clearer path to profitability through advertising revenue.
Market Impact: A successful acquisition could trigger similar deals across the tech industry. Other AI companies might pursue established platforms to gain users, data, and revenue streams quickly.
Conclusion
OpenAI's potential acquisition of Pinterest would reshape both companies and signal a new phase in AI development. Rather than building everything internally, leading AI companies are buying established platforms to accelerate growth.
The deal makes strategic sense for both parties. OpenAI gains visual data, advertising infrastructure, and e-commerce relationships. Pinterest's shareholders receive cash or stock at a premium during a challenging period for the company.
However, significant obstacles remain. Regulatory approval, integration complexity, and financial considerations could derail the transaction. The prediction reflects informed analysis but not confirmed plans.
As 2026 unfolds, watch for signals that this acquisition is moving forward. These include hiring of integration teams, regulatory filings, or statements from company leadership about strategic priorities. The next few months will reveal whether this prediction becomes reality or remains speculation.
For now, the possibility highlights how quickly the AI landscape is evolving. Companies that seemed unrelated just a few years ago now recognize their complementary strengths. Visual discovery, conversational AI, and e-commerce are converging into integrated experiences that could define the next generation of online interaction.