ChatGPT User Growth and Revenue Projections
OpenAI is expected to have at least 220 million ChatGPT users paying for subscriptions, according to a report by The Information citing an informed source.
Currently, ChatGPT has around 800 million weekly active users, with 35 million of them subscribing to the $20 per month Plus plan or the $200 per month enterprise plan as of July, The Information noted.
Reuters reports that OpenAI’s annual revenue is projected to reach $20 billion by the end of this year.
A recent update from HSBC’s US service team, cited by The Financial Times, estimates that ChatGPT could achieve 3 billion weekly users by 2030.
HSBC also predicts that by this year, 10% of these users will be paying customers, totaling 300 million, which exceeds OpenAI’s internal projections.
However, HSBC highlights that the company is not expected to be profitable by 2030 and will require at least $207 billion in computing capacity to sustain growth.
Microsoft’s Investment and Financial Impact
Microsoft, which owns a 27% stake in OpenAI, disclosed in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings the impact of this investment on its finances.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Microsoft’s net income fell by $3.1 billion due to losses recognized on its OpenAI investment.
The company has committed $13 billion to OpenAI, of which $11.6 billion has already been paid, and reports its share of OpenAI’s profits or losses under “other income (expense), net.”
Based on Microsoft’s filings, The Register calculated that if Microsoft’s 27% stake led to a $3.1 billion loss in a single quarter, OpenAI’s total loss for that period would be roughly $11.5 billion.
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