OpenAI expected to burn through nearly $280 billion by end of 2030

PANews reported on September 19, citing the Financial Times, which referenced OpenAI's internal presentation documents, that OpenAI expects to burn through nearly $280 billion cumulatively by the end of 2030. The documents show that between 2026 and 2030, OpenAI expects to generate as much as $278 billion in negative free cash flow. Although annual revenue is projected to surge from $36 billion this year to $350 billion by 2030, with cumulative revenue of $840 billion over the five years from 2026 to 2030, the revenue scale still cannot cover its massive spending.

OpenAI expects its cumulative spending on compute and infrastructure to reach around $856 billion by the end of 2030, making it the company's largest single expense item. Even though it just completed a $122 billion financing round in March this year, at the current pace of capital consumption, those funds are expected to run out by 2028. On the financing front, the AI lab, currently valued at $852 billion, has recently begun negotiations on a new major funding round. According to the Financial Times, some investors have proactively approached the company, proposing to enter at a $1.2 trillion valuation, roughly 41% higher than the March valuation. The discussions are still in an early stage, and the size of the round and the final valuation could still change. OpenAI had originally planned to move forward with an IPO this fall, but that arrangement has now been put on hold.