Hajra Naz
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently pushed back firmly when asked about the company’s revenue and how it plans to fund its massive AI infrastructure commitments. In a candid appearance on the Bg2 podcast alongside Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft), Altman revealed that OpenAI is “doing well more” than the widely reported $13 billion in annual revenue — and he made it clear he’s had enough of the revenue-question line.
During the interview, host Brad Gerstner (founder & CEO of Altimeter Capital) asked Altman about press reports that OpenAI is generating around $13 billion annually but has committed over $1 trillion in computing infrastructure spending over the next decade.
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Altman’s reply:
“First of all, we’re doing well more revenue than that. Second of all, Brad, if you want to sell your shares, I’ll find you a buyer.”
He added a pointed remark for critics who keep writing posts along the lines of “OpenAI is about to go out of business”:
“One of the rare times it’s appealing is when those people are writing these ridiculous ‘OpenAI is about to go out of business’ posts — I would love to tell them they could just short the stock, and I would love to see them get burned on that.”
Altman didn’t shy from the flip side either: he acknowledged there are risks, including failing to access enough compute capacity. But he insisted the fundamentals are strong—”revenue is growing steeply,” and he said OpenAI is making a forward bet on multiple growth pillars:
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expanding its flagship product ChatGPT;
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becoming one of the major AI cloud service providers;
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building a consumer-device business;
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and leveraging AI to automate scientific discovery.
Meanwhile, Nadella chimed in, saying that OpenAI has “beaten every business plan” it’s given Microsoft as an investor—underscoring that the partnership is producing significant results.
On the subject of public listing speculation: despite rumors that OpenAI might IPO next year, Altman shut them down. He said there is no board decision, no date in mind, and no firm timeline — just an assumption that eventually, going public may “make sense.”
Looking ahead, when Gerstner speculated about OpenAI reaching $100 billion in revenue by 2028 or 2029, Altman interjected, “How about ’27?” implying the growth could come even faster.
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In sum: Altman’s tone was equal parts confidence and guarded realism. He’s signaling that OpenAI is scaling aggressively in the generative-AI era, betting on its infrastructure, cloud ambitions, device strategy, and science-automation roadmap—but he also admits the stakes are high and the burn rate is steep.
FAQs
What did Sam Altman say about OpenAI’s revenue?
He stated that OpenAI is generating “well more” than the widely reported $13 billion annual revenue and dismissed press reports that the company is financially weak.
How is OpenAI funding its massive infrastructure spend?
While details remain limited, Altman emphasised that revenue is growing steeply and indicated confidence in the company’s ability to fund its long-term compute, cloud, and device investments. He also called out critics who doubt the business model.
Is OpenAI planning to go public (IPO) soon?
No—Altman clearly said there is no specific plan, no board decision, and no date set for an operating or public listing. He said, “Someday, it may happen, but not next year.
What are the key growth drivers for OpenAI?
Altman outlined several: the continued growth of ChatGPT, becoming a major AI cloud provider, developing consumer AI devices, and using AI to automate science and generate large value.
What are the risks facing OpenAI?
He acknowledged potential pitfalls, especially access to enough computing resources, scaling challenges, competition, and the high stakes of emerging in an era of rapid AI disruption.
