OpenAI accelerates revenue to $40 billion: record pace amid personnel turbulence
OpenAI is demonstrating impressive financial momentum, reaching an annual revenue run rate of $40 billion. This figure, achieved in August 2026, is exactly double the forecasts the company had set for itself for the end of 2025. Such growth is a powerful signal for the market, especially ahead of the anticipated initial public offering (IPO).
The key drivers of this acceleration are three areas. First, the ChatGPT subscriber base continues to grow. Second, sales of specialized software for developers are increasing rapidly. Third, the young advertising business is beginning to generate tangible revenue.
What lies behind the record pace
Company President Greg Brockman told the team that revenue grew by more than 20% in July alone compared to June. Notably, that month brought in more revenue than the entire second quarter. This was also aided by a new pricing policy: lowering service costs for clients, made possible by business optimization, attracted new corporate customers without causing the expected drop in revenue.
Additional momentum was provided by AI agents such as Codex for programmers and ChatGPT Work for office teams. These products not only solve specific tasks but also push clients to upgrade to more expensive plans. Previously, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar projected revenue of over $20 billion by the end of 2025, but now management is targeting half of its revenue from corporate clients by the end of the current year.
Personnel changes on the eve of the IPO
However, not everything is smooth sailing. In the coming weeks, Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dressel, who has been with the company for only about eight months, is leaving. Her departure is just part of a larger wave of personnel turbulence: OpenAI has recently also lost its Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap, the head of ethics, and the head of the safety division. Global sales will now be led by Dali Rajic, who previously served as president at cybersecurity company Wiz.
Despite this, preparations for the stock exchange are in full swing: the IPO filing has been submitted confidentially, and the company recently bought back $7 billion worth of employee shares using its own funds. A competitor is also on the horizon: Anthropic plans to go public as early as October with a valuation of over $2 trillion.
My view: Doubling revenue is undoubtedly a strong card for OpenAI ahead of its listing. However, investors should closely watch the executive shake-up: at such a critical moment, the stability of the management team is no less important than financial metrics. The market will assess whether growth can offset the risks associated with the loss of key managers.