OpenAI's Annualized Revenue Nears $50 Billion, Below Prior Reports

· Tech · United States

OpenAI recently told investors that its annualized revenue was approaching $50 billion at the end of September, according to a person familiar with the communications. That figure is roughly $20 billion lower than revenue numbers disclosed in other recent reports, including The Information's own earlier coverage. The gap matters because OpenAI's revenue trajectory is the single most-watched number in the AI industry, shaping investor expectations for the entire sector. The disclosure comes ahead of expected earnings-season scrutiny and could temper the aggressive growth assumptions baked into valuations of AI model developers, cloud providers and chipmakers who depend on the company's spending.

Why it matters：OpenAI's revenue figure is the benchmark the entire AI industry uses to justify data center, chip and cloud investment; a $20 billion discrepancy could force a reassessment of growth expectations across the sector.

Key points

  • OpenAI gave the figure directly to investors, per a person with knowledge of the talks
  • The number is about $20 billion below figures in other recent reports
  • The disclosure comes before earnings season scrutiny of AI spending

Sources (original reporting)

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