OpenAI: Revenue grows strongly, losses increase even faster
OpenAI is now generating almost two billion US dollars per month. However, expenses are rising even faster, and losses are growing. But reserves are large.
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OpenAI used up 3.7 billion US dollars of its cash reserves in the first three months of the year, with revenue of just 5.7 billion US dollars. This is reported by the US magazine The Information, citing internal figures from the AI company. The so-called cash burn rate has thus tripled compared to the same period last year, as has revenue. However, since OpenAI has reserves of 73 billion US dollars after the latest financing round, the company can sustain this for a while without raising new money. The company's net loss in the same period was reportedly as high as 9.3 billion US dollars, with “convertible notes and options liabilities” costing an additional 12.4 billion US dollars, The Information writes.
Departure from non-profit status complicates financial statements
The sometimes difficult-to-understand but immensely high amounts reinforce the image of a company whose billions in revenue are rising sharply but whose costs are still outpacing it. At the end of last year, OpenAI detailed to investors that planned expenses would amount to 665 billion US dollars by 2030. This money is primarily needed for the construction and expansion of data centers. How the gigantic sum is to be recouped if AI usage does not increase massively and the models do not become significantly better is completely unclear, believes The Information.
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Just on Tuesday, the Financial Times also reported, citing internal documents leaked to independent journalist Ed Zitron, that OpenAI spent 34 billion US dollars in 2025. This was reportedly offset by revenue of 13 billion US dollars. The net loss has reportedly increased almost eightfold within a year, from 5 billion US dollars to 39 billion. After deducting liabilities related to OpenAI's conversion to a for-profit company – which are regularly revalued depending on the company's value – a loss of 8 billion US dollars reportedly remains. These figures are likely to be scrutinized with growing interest, especially in light of the planned IPO.
(mho)
