[alexeichemenda]

100x is a great return even for YC standards, but the best returns that business angels, VCs and YC have had is in the order of magnitude of 10000x (yes, ten thousand). So capping at 100x still makes it attractive for investors, yet leaves a lot of potential capital for the non-profit.

As one example, Sequoia invested in Airbnb at $0.01 per share, and Airbnb's current stock price is $102, almost exactly 10000x return. This happens more often that you think if you're not in the early stage & top VC world.

[diogopublio]

Maybe that is a bit too much

$0.01 per mean share would mean 6.5M USD valuation (current mkt cap is 65Bn). Accounting for dilution in investment rounds, let's say 4 x 20% dilution, that is around 52% penalty in valuation. Roughly, their entering price would be around 3-4M USD valuation. I am not saying in any way that this is a low return also, I may be wrong on my calculation, please, be free to correct me! ; )

[JumpCrisscross]

> dilution in investment rounds

Using share prices side steps dilution, which is a problem when one linearly scales valuation increases to wealth gains.

[tomp]

> but the best returns that business angels, VCs and YC have had is in the order of magnitude of 10000x

Aren't those equity returns? i.e. when you sell (your shares of) the company to the public... the reason people still value the company is discounted future returns.

So if you want to generate such returns with cash (i.e. profit) it can take quite a bit longer.

[roflyear]

When you invest in a company with this structure you're not doing it to make money, you're doing it b/c you believe in the product, that's why those structures exist, from my understanding.

[whimsicalism]

if you believe in the product so much, just donate the money.

what you are saying is not true.

[roflyear]

I can only speak to what I'm familiar with, in my experience this has been the case. In my experience these individuals do donate to charity, but OpenAI is not a charity.

[CBarkleyU]

> but OpenAI is not a charity.

Something doesnt have to be a charity to be donated money towards. The question was: Why aren't they donating the money? The answer is: Because the want to make money.

Just FYI: OpenAI tried going the non-profit route, it didnt work, because suprise, suprise, in the grand scheme of VC things nobody wants to donate 10 billion dollars to anything.

[roflyear]

Things are not Boolean, and they should not be. There is a gradient between "believing in the thing" and "purely wanting to make money" and most people fall somewhere in between those.

I have known of plenty of people (myself included) who would not invest in some companies because they think there are moral issues with that company. Same thing.

> Just FYI: OpenAI tried going the non-profit route, it didnt work, because suprise, suprise, in the grand scheme of VC things nobody wants to donate 10 billion dollars to anything.

Exactly, so they went something in-between, but in reality it is very much for-profit.