OpenAI informed investors that its annualized revenue reached approximately $50 billion by the end of September 2026, according to a CNBC report confirmed by a person familiar with the matter. This figure is notably lower than the $68 billion annualized revenue that had been widely reported in late August.
This image illustrates the CNBC report cited in the article about OpenAI's revised revenue figure.
The $68 billion figure included gross revenue from OpenAI's partners, a calculation intended to allow a more direct comparison with rival Anthropic, which counts partner-generated revenue in its own annualized metrics. OpenAI's internal investor presentation highlighted stronger growth, citing 77% total run rate growth during its third quarter and 107% run rate growth specifically for its enterprise business.
Following the disclosure, shares of AI-linked companies fell: Nvidia dropped 3%, Oracle nearly 6%, and CoreWeave slipped almost 8%. The revision intensifies pressure on OpenAI to justify its $852 billion valuation as it prepares for a potential 2027 IPO, especially after having confidentially filed its prospectus with regulators in June.
Despite the lower revenue figure, OpenAI emphasized that it remains 'very well capitalized' following its historic $122 billion funding round completed in March, with CFO Sarah Friar indicating the company could raise an additional $30 billion in a new funding round driven by investor demand.