OpenAI CFO says annualised revenue crosses US$20 billion in 2025

[BENGALURU] OpenAI chief financial officer Sarah Friar said on Sunday (Jan 18) the company’s annualised revenue has surpassed US$20 billion in 2025, up from US$6 billion in 2024, with growth closely tracking an expansion in computing capacity.

OpenAI’s computing capacity rose to 1.9 gigawatts (GW) in 2025 from 0.6 GW in 2024, Friar said, adding that Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s weekly and daily active users figures continue to produce all-time highs.

OpenAI last week said that it would start showing ads in ChatGPT to some US users, ramping up efforts to generate revenue from the AI chatbot to fund the high costs of developing the technology.

Separately, Axios reported on Monday that OpenAI’s policy chief Chris Lehane said that the company is “on track” to unveil its first device in the second half of 2026.

Friar said that OpenAI’s platform spans text, images, voice, code and APIs, and the next phase will focus on agents and workflow automation that run continuously, carry context over time, and take action across tools.

For 2026, the company will prioritise “practical adoption”, particularly in health, science and enterprise, she said.

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Friar said that the company is keeping a “light” balance sheet by partnering rather than owning and structuring contracts with flexibility across providers and hardware types. REUTERS