OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks at a panel discussion on potentials, perspectives and challenges in the age of artificial intelligence at the Technical University in Berlin on Feb. 7, 2025.
John Macdougall | Afp | Getty Images
OpenAI expects revenue will triple to $12.7 billion in 2025, CNBC has confirmed.
Bloomberg was first to report on the revenue figure, which was confirmed to CNBC by a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the number is private.
Microsoft, OpenAI’s principal investor and key strategic partner, recorded $13 billion in annual recurring revenue in the fourth quarter, up 175% from a year earlier.
Earlier this week, OpenAI announced some key changes in the C-suite. CEO Sam Altman will shift his focus away from day-to-day operations and focus more on research and product, the company said, while operating chief Brad Lightcap’s role will expand to oversee “business and day-to-day operations.”
OpenAI is facing increased competition in generative artificial intelligence from other high-value startups such as Anthropic and Perplexity and tech giants including Google and Microsoft.
As of last month, SoftBank was set to invest $40 billion in OpenAI at a $260 billion valuation. Part of the funding is expected to be used for OpenAI’s commitment to Stargate, the joint venture between SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle announced by President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, OpenAI announced it would introduce native image generation within ChatGPT. The feature has begun rolling out to ChatGPT PLUS, Pro and Team users, as well as users of ChatGPT’s free tier, when they use OpenAI’s 4o model. The company said ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu users will soon receive access.
