OpenAI's Revenue Doubles to $12B Amid Soaring Demand for AI Tools

OpenAI's annual revenue has doubled to $12 billion due to strong demand for its AI tools, including ChatGPT, which has grown from 500 million to 700 million weekly active users. The company is raising $30 billion in funding, with a pre-money valuation of around $260 billion, and investors can buy shares of Microsoft, which has a 49% stake in OpenAI.

Title: OpenAI's Revenue Doubles to $12 Billion Amid Strong AI Demand

OpenAI has reported a significant milestone in its financial performance, with annualized revenue doubling to $12 billion as of July 2025. This impressive growth is driven by the strong demand for its AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, which has seen its weekly active user base expand from 500 million to 700 million [1].

The company's revenue surge comes amidst broader industry trends where enterprises are investing heavily in generative AI to enhance productivity and customer engagement. OpenAI’s rapid ascent is fueled by the widespread adoption of its products, such as ChatGPT and advanced language models. According to The Information, OpenAI’s revenue run rate has jumped from about $5.5 billion at the end of 2024 to $10 billion by June 2025, and now to $12 billion [1].

Despite the impressive top-line growth, OpenAI faces significant challenges, including increased cash burn. The company projects a cash burn of approximately $8 billion for 2025, largely due to soaring compute costs for training and inference [1]. OpenAI’s strategy to mitigate these costs includes optimizing models for efficiency, such as making GPT-4o 100 times cheaper per token than predecessors. However, insiders suggest this may not fully offset the escalating demands [1].

OpenAI’s pivot toward enterprise solutions has been a key driver of its growth. The company now serves over 3 million paying business users and boasts 700 million weekly active users on ChatGPT alone. CNBC has highlighted how this user base expansion, combined with tailored AI tools for corporate needs, has propelled the company forward [1].

OpenAI is currently raising an unprecedented $40 billion in funding, with a pre-money valuation of $260 billion. This funding round is five months ahead of schedule and includes commitments for the remaining $30 billion. SoftBank has pledged to cover the substantial remaining $22.5 billion of this installment by year-end, contingent on OpenAI reorganizing its corporate structure to enable a future public listing for its for-profit arm—a development currently under negotiation with Microsoft [2].

The company is targeting the enterprise market with a tailored “ChatGPT Deep Research” feature and bundled discounts of 10–20% on its enterprise product. Additionally, new tools for spreadsheets and presentations highlight rising competition with Microsoft and Google [2].

OpenAI’s future projections hinge on scaling operations without proportional cost increases. The company’s 2025 revenue projection stands at $12.7 billion, a more than threefold increase from $3.7 billion in 2024, according to Bloomberg reports echoed in various X discussions [1]. Yet, profitability remains elusive, with cash-flow positivity not expected until 2029, when revenue could soar to $125 billion [1].

Investors can buy shares of Microsoft, which has a 49% stake in OpenAI. The company’s strategic vision includes channeling these substantial funds into acquiring more chips to expand and operate its AI models. Furthermore, the company and SoftBank have committed a significant $18 billion each to a data center joint venture, with potential locations under discussion in states like Ohio and Nevada [2].

References
[1] https://www.webpronews.com/openai-revenue-hits-12b-in-2025-eyes-125b-by-2029/
[2] https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/07/31/openai-hits-12b-revenue-eyes-40b-fund-amid-ai-boom/