Microsoft’s $13 Billion OpenAI Tie-Up Cleared by UK Watchdog (2)

Microsoft Corp.’s $13 billion investment into OpenAI Inc. was cleared by the UK’s antitrust watchdog, ending months of uncertainty over the tie-up.

The Competition and Markets Authority said that the 2023 deal doesn’t qualify for a full investigation under merger rules. The CMA said in 2023 it intended to look at whether the partnership gave either of the two firms more control and influence over another.

The decision, after around 14 months of scrutiny, removes one UK regulatory uncertainty for Microsoft, which faces a continued investigation into its cloud service offerings. It also comes weeks after the US Federal ...