OpenAI Surpasses $20 Billion in Revenue Amid Surging Global AI Demand

OpenAI reported annualized revenue of over $20 billion in 2025, a significant increase from $6 billion in 2024, reflecting rapid growth closely tied to an expansion in computing capacity, according to Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar. The company’s computing capacity grew from 0.6 gigawatts in 2024 to 1.9 gigawatts in 2025, while weekly and daily active user numbers continued to reach record highs, demonstrating strong adoption of its AI services.

OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, recently announced that it will begin displaying ads in ChatGPT to certain users in the US. This strategy aims to generate additional revenue to offset the high costs associated with developing and scaling artificial intelligence technology.

The company’s platform currently supports text, images, voice, code, and application programming interfaces (APIs). The next phase of growth will focus on AI agents and workflow automation capable of operating continuously, retaining context over time, and performing tasks across multiple tools. OpenAI policy chief Chris Lehane also revealed that the company is on track to launch its first device in the second half of 2026, marking an expansion into hardware.

Looking ahead, OpenAI plans to prioritize practical adoption of its technology, with a particular focus on applications in health, science, and enterprise sectors. Friar emphasized that the company maintains a light balance sheet by partnering with providers instead of owning all assets directly and structuring flexible contracts across hardware and service providers, allowing scalable and cost-efficient growth.