OpenAI’s flagship product ChatGPT has become the primary revenue engine for the company, with paid subscriptions ranging from $20 to $200 per month projected to generate approximately $8 billion in 2025. The service has captured an impressive 69.9% market share in AI tool subscription sales, with paying users surging past 20 million in early 2025—a 30% increase in just three months.
This growth translates to roughly $415 million in monthly revenue ($5 billion annualized), though the percentage of paying users remains small at just 4-5% of ChatGPT’s massive 500 million weekly active user base.
Looking ahead, OpenAI’s ambitious revenue projections rely heavily on ChatGPT’s continued growth, with subscription revenue expected to reach $50 billion by 2029.
The company also plans to begin monetizing its free user base starting in 2026 through methods like affiliate marketing and advertising, potentially contributing an additional $25 billion in revenue by 2029.
Despite these impressive figures, profitability remains challenging—OpenAI expects to operate at a cumulative negative cash flow of $46 billion through 2028 before potentially reaching break-even in 2029.
