OpenAI revenue hits $70 billion annualized rate as ChatGPT reaches 1.2 billion weekly users

Sep 29, 2026

OpenAI's annualized revenue run rate has surged past $70 billion, fueled by a doubling of enterprise sales since July 2026 and explosive consumer growth. At its DevDay event, the company launched over 20 products, headlined by autonomous 'Dots' desktop agents and a premium $500 monthly subscription tier. While chief rival Anthropic prepares for an IPO with a $65 billion run rate, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has ruled out a 2026 listing on safety grounds, opting instead to discuss a private funding round that could value the startup at $1.4 trillion.

OpenAI revenue growth

▪OpenAI's business-to-business revenue has more than doubled since July 2026.
▪OpenAI's annualized revenue run rate has grown by more than 70% since the start of the third quarter of 2026, approaching $70 billion.
▪OpenAI added more consumer revenue in the third quarter of 2026 alone than it generated across the entirety of 2025.
▪OpenAI's revenue rose 18% between the first and second quarters of 2026, growing from $5.7 billion to $6.7 billion.

OpenAI funding rounds

▪OpenAI previously closed a $110 billion funding round at an $852 billion valuation in March 2026
▪OpenAI is in early-stage discussions with investors for a new funding round that could raise $30 billion at a valuation of $1.4 trillion.

OpenAI IPO plans

▪OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that OpenAI will not pursue an IPO in 2026, citing a desire to focus on AI safety and alignment.
▪OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar stated on September 29, 2026, that OpenAI wants to launch an IPO when the time is right for its business.

OpenAI DevDay product launches

▪OpenAI announced ChatGPT Space, a collaborative workspace where teammates and AI agents can edit documents, spreadsheets, and slide decks.
▪OpenAI introduced GPT-6.1 Sol, a new AI model for developers priced at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens.
▪OpenAI launched over 20 new products and features at its annual DevDay event in San Francisco on September 29, 2026.

OpenAI dots desktop agents

▪Dots agents require explicit user permission before performing sensitive actions like changing passwords, deleting data, or installing software.
▪OpenAI introduced Dots, always-on desktop AI agents powered by GPT-6 Astra that can complete multi-step tasks across applications.
▪OpenAI's Dots agents are not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom due to strict data privacy laws

OpenAI subscription plan updates

▪OpenAI launched a new Pro 500 subscription tier costing $500 a month, which offers access to Ultrafast computing for GPT-6 Astra.
▪OpenAI reopened its $200 a month Pro plan but halved its compute allowance to 10 times that of the $20 Plus plan.

Anthropic financial performance

▪Anthropic's annualized revenue run rate crossed $65 billion by the end of July 2026, up from nearly $4.6 billion in 2025.
▪Anthropic's draft IPO prospectus disclosed $518 billion in future cloud, computing, and infrastructure obligations.

Chirantan Desai's move to Meta

▪Meta launched the Meta Enterprise Platform to sell its AI tools, hiring former MongoDB CEO Chirantan Desai to lead the unit.
▪Following Chirantan Desai's departure to Meta, MongoDB shares fell over 17% and the board appointed Dev Ittycheria as interim chief executive officer.

Debatable claims

▪OpenAI is prioritizing commercial competition over thorough AI safety testing
▪The massive infrastructure spending by leading AI labs is financially unsustainable