OpenAI reports $5.7B Q1 revenue

OpenAI said on May 21 that it generated roughly $5.7 billion in first-quarter revenue, extending a run of rapid top-line growth even as user growth slowed from the pace it had flagged earlier this year. Internal figures reported by multiple outlets showed ChatGPT averaged about 905 million weekly active users in the quarter and counted about 55 million paying consumer subscribers. The same quarter remained deeply unprofitable: OpenAI lost $1.22 for every dollar of revenue, excluding stock-based compensation, according to figures cited in coverage of the company’s internal results. The numbers add detail to a business that OpenAI had already described in recent months as producing about $2 billion in monthly revenue and serving more than 900 million weekly users. ### Where did the $5.7 billion quarter come from? OpenAI said in an April post that it was generating $2 billion in revenue per month and had reached $1 billion in quarterly revenue by the end of 2024. That disclosure implied a much larger 2026 revenue base before the new first-quarter figure surfaced. In a separate April post, the company also said enterprise made up more than 40% of revenue and was on track to reach parity with consumer by the end of 2026. (openai.com) The first-quarter total suggests OpenAI is drawing revenue from several lines at once: ChatGPT subscriptions, business products and developer usage. OpenAI said in November that more than 1 million business customers were directly using its products, including ChatGPT for Work and its developer platform. ### Why does 905 million weekly users count as a slowdown? OpenAI said on February 27 that ChatGPT had reached 900 million weekly active users and more than 50 million paying subscribers. (openai.com) The first-quarter average of about 905 million weekly users means usage stayed near that level across the period rather than breaking decisively above it. Coverage of the quarter said the figure fell short of a 1 billion weekly-user target. (openai.com) The subscriber figure still rose. First-quarter paying consumer subscribers reached about 55 million, up from more than 50 million disclosed in February, according to OpenAI’s earlier post and later reporting on the quarter. ### How large are the losses behind that growth? The quarter’s adjusted operating margin was about negative 122%, according to reports citing the company’s internal figures. That means OpenAI lost $1.22 for every dollar it brought in, excluding stock-based compensation. (techcrunch.com) CNBC reported in September 2024 that OpenAI expected about $5 billion in losses on $3.7 billion in revenue for that year. (openai.com) Those earlier numbers showed the company scaling revenue rapidly while still carrying heavy costs tied to model development, computing infrastructure and expansion. ### What do the new figures say about OpenAI’s scale? OpenAI said in March that ChatGPT had more than 900 million weekly active users and more than 50 million consumer subscribers. (news.futunn.com) In April, it said it was generating $2 billion in monthly revenue. Those disclosures, taken with the reported first-quarter results, place the company among the largest revenue generators in generative AI while leaving it far from profitability. (cnbc.com) The valuation figure circulating alongside the quarter — roughly $730 billion — could not be verified from a primary company filing or official OpenAI statement in the available sources. OpenAI’s last clearly documented valuation in official and widely reported sources was $300 billion after its March 2025 funding round, while later secondary-market estimates have varied. ### What should readers watch next? (openai.com) OpenAI’s next public marker is likely to be user growth against the 1 billion weekly-user threshold it has referenced in recent company statements. The company has already said enterprise revenue is on track to reach parity with consumer by the end of 2026, making future disclosures on business adoption, subscriber growth and margins the next concrete checkpoints. (openai.com)