OpenAI's September revenue run rate below earlier estimate, source says
Investors were told annualized revenue was almost $50 billion, rather than the previously indicated level approaching $70 billion.
OpenAI annualized revenue near $50 billion, below earlier reports
A media report attributed the gap to investors' efforts to compare OpenAI with Anthropic, which uses a different revenue calculation.
OpenAI told investors that its annualized revenue was nearing $50 billion at September's end, according to an October 8 media report citing financial documents provided to investors. That was about $20 billion below the $70 billion figure circulated in media reports late last month.
The report linked the discrepancy to efforts by OpenAI investors to make a direct comparison with rival Anthropic, citing a person familiar with the matter. It said Anthropic counts sales through cloud partners, including AWS and Google Cloud, in its annualized revenue calculation, whereas OpenAI excludes them.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The media report could not be independently verified.
An annualized revenue run rate often takes a single month's revenue and multiplies it by 12. Both OpenAI and Anthropic may be preparing for public listings, which could provide a clearer picture of their finances and the sustainability of revenue growth driven by the AI boom.