OpenAI's ChatGPT ads annualized revenue tops $1B, ~200 days after launch
OpenAI announced on Aug 31 that ChatGPT Ads annualized run rate reached $1B, achieved in ~200 days since launch.
On August 31, OpenAI announced that its ChatGPT Ads business has reached a $1 billion annualized run rate, roughly 200 days after launch.
OpenAI began testing advertising in ChatGPT in the US in February 2026. ChatGPT Ads now covers more than 40 countries, and on the same day opened self-service ad buying to India, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Ads primarily target free users and Go subscribers, which together make up the vast majority of OpenAI's 1 billion weekly active users.
Earlier in mid-August, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar had said the ads business was "approaching" $1 billion ARR, with overall ARR at about $40 billion. In roughly two weeks, the ads segment crossed from "approaching" to "passing" $1 billion.
The milestone comes as OpenAI prepares for a major IPO and seeks to justify a $852 billion valuation. The company has previously said it crossed $1 billion in annual revenue one year after ChatGPT's launch, hit $1 billion in a single quarter by the end of 2024, and now reaches about $2 billion per month, growing roughly 4x faster than Alphabet and Meta in the same periods.