OpenAI and Microsoft agreed to cap total revenue-sharing payments at $38 billion, US digital news outlet The Information reported on Monday, citing a person with knowledge of the arrangement.

The development comes as OpenAI and Microsoft renegotiated a contract last month, making room for OpenAI to forge new partnerships with companies ⁠such as Amazon and Google.

The payment cap could help OpenAI present a stronger long-term pitch to investors as it works toward a public offering, which some executives said could take place as soon as the end of this year, according to the report.

Reuters could not immediately verify the ⁠report. OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment outside regular business hours.

Microsoft said in April that revenue-sharing payments from OpenAI would ⁠continue through 2030, and that payments would be made at the same previously agreed percentage, subject to an ⁠overall cap.

Microsoft's early investment, totaling $13 billion since 2019, helped pave the way for OpenAI's rise ⁠as an AI pioneer and powered growth at the Windows maker's Azure cloud-computing business.