OpenAI’s $50bn and $70bn revenue figures describe different forecasts
OpenAI’s reported 2026 revenue figures appear to conflict: one account put its annualised September run rate near $50bn, while another said the company expects to reach or exceed $70bn by year-end.[2][3] The reports describe different dates and ways of counting partner sales. They do not establish a confirmed $20bn fall in realised revenue.
The reporting gap
The Guardian described the $50bn figure as a projection based on sales through September, compared with $70bn signalled to investors the previous month.[1] Reuters reporting carried by CNA said OpenAI had previously indicated a run rate approaching $70bn before telling investors that September’s figure was almost $50bn.[3]
Bloomberg reported a different forward-looking measure: OpenAI expects to reach or exceed $70bn in annualised revenue by the end of 2026. The report said the current figure was roughly $50bn and identified enterprise growth as the main driver.[2]
The measurement problem
Annualised revenue is a run-rate measure rather than a booked full-year result. Reuters reporting notes that it can involve multiplying one month’s revenue by 12.[3] The sources also describe different treatment of cloud-partner sales. Anthropic includes gross sales made through partners such as AWS and Google Cloud, while OpenAI records its own share.[1][3]
Some earlier estimates applied Anthropic’s method to OpenAI. That helps explain why a $70bn figure circulated before the later $50bn report.[1][2] The numbers therefore describe a reporting and measurement dispute alongside rapid growth.
What would settle it
A comparable public disclosure would state the period covered, the treatment of partner sales and whether the figure is booked revenue or an annualised pace. Until that information is available, the defensible conclusion is narrow: the reports show competing projections, not a settled $20bn loss of revenue.
Sources
[1] OpenAI projected to bring in $20bn less in revenue than expected
[2] OpenAI Expects $70 Billion in Annualized Revenue by End of 2026
