Archive · 14 Aug 2026
OpenAI revenue run rate crosses $40 billion as IPO nears
OpenAI is the company that makes ChatGPT, a computer assistant that can talk with you and help you work.
Right now, OpenAI is making an enormous amount of money — more than $40 billion in a single year.
That is about twice as much as it made at the end of last year.
People are paying for subscriptions, for a tool that helps programmers write code, and for new advertising.
OpenAI wants to sell part of itself to the public on the stock market, which is called an IPO.
Another company named Anthropic is planning to do the same thing, and it says it makes even more money.
The two companies are competing hard to win business customers.
To sell more, OpenAI hired a new sales leader and lowered prices on some of its products.
More and more people are using its AI helpers, like Codex for coding and ChatGPT Work.
These companies make lots of money by helping people get their jobs done.
OpenAI's annualized revenue run rate has topped $40 billion, roughly doubling from the end of 2025.
Growth is driven by its AI coding software, subscription sales, and a nascent advertising business.
OpenAI and rival Anthropic PBC have both filed confidential paperwork to go public, with Anthropic expected to IPO as soon as this fall.
Anthropic said in May its run-rate revenue had crossed $47 billion, though the two firms may not measure it the same way.
OpenAI named its second chief revenue officer in less than a year, and Greg Brockman said the run rate rose more than 20% month-over-month in July.
- Who
- OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT; rival Anthropic PBC; and OpenAI executives Greg Brockman and Sarah Friar.
- What
- OpenAI's annualized revenue run rate crossed $40 billion, roughly doubling from the end of 2025 and strengthening its plans for a stock market debut.
- When
- Reported on August 14, 2026; the revenue run rate grew more than 20% month-over-month in July 2026.
- Where
- The article cites a planned Wall Street (United States) debut; no other locations are specified.
- Why
- Growth was driven by AI coding software, subscription sales, and an early advertising business, as OpenAI races to go public and compete with Anthropic.
- Company
- OpenAI (maker of ChatGPT)
- Annualized revenue run rate
- More than $40 billion
- Run rate at end of 2025
- More than $20 billion (per CFO Sarah Friar)
- July 2026 month-over-month growth
- More than 20% (per President Greg Brockman)
- Anthropic run-rate revenue (May 2026)
- Crossed $47 billion
- IPO status
- Both OpenAI and Anthropic filed confidential paperwork; Anthropic expected to IPO as soon as this fall
- Key AI agent products
- Codex (coding) and ChatGPT Work
- New hire
- Second chief revenue officer in less than a year, a cybersecurity executive
