OpenAI's Revenue Rockets to $12B+ Annualized; GPT-5 Imminent

OpenAI has achieved a significant financial milestone, reportedly reaching an annualized revenue between $12 billion and $13 billion. This figure represents a nearly threefold increase from earlier projections this year, translating to approximately $1 billion in monthly revenue, according to reports from The Information and The New York Times.

This rapid financial growth is mirrored in the company’s user base expansion. OpenAI has added 200 million weekly active users since the beginning of the year, bringing its total to 700 million. Furthermore, its paying business customer base has expanded from 3 million to 5 million in a short period. This surge is attributed to a combination of strong consumer demand and accelerating adoption by enterprises.

The aggressive expansion comes with substantial investment. OpenAI now anticipates a burn rate of $8 billion this year, a significant increase from an earlier projection of $1 billion. A substantial portion of this expenditure is directed towards computational resources, including advanced chips, data center infrastructure, and strategic partnerships, such as one with SoftBank aimed at developing next-generation AI infrastructure. Paul Roetzer, CEO of Marketing AI Institute, noted that the company does not appear to prioritize short-term profitability.

The company’s trajectory is further fueled by anticipation of new product releases. GPT-5, the next iteration of OpenAI’s large language model, is widely expected to launch imminently, possibly within the current week. While an official launch date has not been confirmed, CEO Sam Altman has provided strong hints. Earlier this week, Altman shared a ChatGPT screenshot that clearly displayed “GPT-5” as the selected model, suggesting internal testing is well underway. He also indicated that “a ton of stuff” is planned for release in the coming months, encompassing “new models, products, features, and more.”

Beyond core model advancements, OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT’s functionality to include direct creation and editing of presentations and spreadsheets. This development positions OpenAI to directly compete with established players like Microsoft and Google in the productivity software market. The integration of such features signals a strategic shift, transforming ChatGPT from a conversational assistant into a more comprehensive everyday work tool.

Collectively, these recent developments underscore OpenAI’s rapid evolution from a research-focused entity into a major technology company, demonstrating an accelerated pace of innovation and market penetration.