OpenAI is generating more than $1 billion a month from revenue streams beyond ChatGPT, with CEO Sam Altman saying the growth is coming entirely from the company’s API business.
In a post on X on Thursday, Altman said OpenAI added over $1 billion in annual recurring revenue in the past month “just from our API business,” noting that while most people associate the company with ChatGPT, its API team has become a major driver of growth.
OpenAI’s API allows companies and developers to integrate its models into their own products, including productivity software, coding tools, and AI-powered search. High-profile startups such as Perplexity and legal tech firm Harvey rely on OpenAI’s models as core infrastructure.
Altman’s comments highlight how OpenAI’s infrastructure and enterprise offerings are emerging as key revenue engines as the company faces rapidly rising costs for computing power and data center expansion. Those pressures have pushed OpenAI to look beyond consumer subscriptions for sustainable growth.
Last week, OpenAI said it is preparing to test advertising inside ChatGPT as it manages long-term spending commitments that could reach $1.4 trillion. The move marks a shift for a company that previously described ads as a “last resort,” though Altman has recently taken a more open stance, saying he is not entirely opposed if handled carefully.
OpenAI is also exploring alternative monetization paths. Earlier this week, CFO Sarah Friar discussed the possibility of licensing models in areas like drug discovery, where OpenAI could earn a share of downstream sales if a customer’s product succeeds.