OpenAI has reportedly informed investors that its annualised revenue is approaching $50 billion, around $20 billion lower than a figure reported last month, according to the Financial Times.
The earlier estimate, which put the artificial intelligence company’s annualised revenue close to $70 billion, was reported by several media outlets and was based on information shared with investors. The Financial Times said the figure emerged from efforts by some of OpenAI’s investors to compare its revenue directly with that of rival AI company Anthropic.
Different methods of calculating revenue
OpenAI and Anthropic use different methods to calculate annualised revenue, making direct comparisons difficult.
Anthropic includes sales made through its cloud partners in its calculations, while OpenAI does not. This difference may partly explain the gap between the figures reported for the two companies.
OpenAI had not publicly commented on the latest report at the time of publication, according to TechCrunch, which said it had contacted the company for a response.
Spending raises questions about profitability
The reported revenue figure comes as OpenAI faces scrutiny over the scale of investment required to develop and operate advanced AI systems.
The company raised $122 billion in a funding round in March, underscoring the substantial financial commitments supporting its expansion.
Financial figures attributed to OpenAI and leaked earlier in 2026 indicated that the company generated approximately $13 billion in revenue during 2025 while spending significantly more.
The revenue estimates have drawn attention as investors assess whether the company can sustain its growth and justify the cost of developing its AI technology.
IPO reportedly delayed until 2027
OpenAI’s potential initial public offering (IPO), previously rumoured to be planned for 2026, has reportedly been pushed back to early 2027, according to CNBC.
The latest revenue estimate adds to questions about the company’s financial outlook as it continues to invest heavily in AI infrastructure and product development.
