OpenAI is seeking to hire an investment banker for its AI division.

      OpenAI is seeking to hire an investment-banking "subject matter expert" for its Applied AI team, offering a salary between $185,000 and $205,000, along with equity, to set the standards for AI-assisted banking tasks. This initiative indicates OpenAI’s entry into the finance sector, which is considered one of the most profitable areas for enterprise AI, in competition with Anthropic. The position focuses on instructing models on the appropriate automation of analyst-level tasks while ensuring human oversight for judgment calls.

      The job listing specifies that OpenAI is looking for a subject matter expert with a minimum of two years of experience in investment banking for its team located in San Francisco. According to Business Insider, the base salary ranges from $185,000 to $205,000, in addition to equity, which has gained significance following OpenAI’s initial private step towards a long-anticipated IPO last month.

      The objective of this hire is to "define the quality bar for AI-assisted investment banking work," requiring a comprehensive understanding of research, financial modeling, valuations, due diligence, and the materials that are integral to a banker's daily responsibilities. The focus of this role lies in making judgments rather than merely executing tasks, as OpenAI aims to recruit someone who comprehends the progression of work from junior analyst to director and can identify tasks suitable for AI automation, as well as when human oversight is necessary.

      This isn't OpenAI's first endeavor in this space; the organization is part of a broader trend of hiring finance professionals. Financial institutions and AI laboratories are offering up to $25,000 a day to former Wall Street employees to help train models based on their previous experiences.

      Finance represents one of the most lucrative sectors for enterprise AI, attracting significant attention from AI laboratories. Anthropic noted in May that financial services is its second-largest industry in terms of enterprise revenue, having developed a $1.5 billion pipeline to Wall Street to capitalize on this opportunity.

      In response, OpenAI is diversifying its strategy, having recently established a multi-billion-dollar Deployment Company with support from Goldman Sachs. The company is also directing efforts toward personal finance with ChatGPT, broadening its application from trading operations to everyday banking.

      Financial institutions are heavily investing as well, with JPMorgan committing $18 billion annually to technology and Goldman Sachs dedicating $6 billion. Goldman has also supported OpenAI’s cyber-access initiative, while JPMorgan was an early participant in Anthropic’s competing Glasswing project.

      The proposition to banks is clear: allow AI to take over the tedious work of analysts involving models and presentations. This mirrors the automation strategy articulated by Citi’s Jane Fraser as a key aspect of the ongoing AI races reshaping the financial sector.

      OpenAI demonstrated financial capabilities when it launched GPT-5.5 in April, and a broader release of GPT-5.6 is prepared but temporarily on hold at the request of the Trump administration. The models are advancing rapidly, outpacing the planned rollout timelines.

      Hiring a banker to evaluate the output serves as a bridge between showcasing the technology and delivering results that a managing director would approve. The focus on junior analyst responsibilities is evident in the job listing.