OpenAI, a leading name in the artificial intelligence world, has taken its financial efficiency to a new level through improvements in its operational processes. According to leaked internal reports, the “computational margin,” which represents the revenue share after deducting operating costs from AI models, increased from 35% in January 2024 to 70% by October 2025.
OpenAI is reducing costs
This twofold increase in approximately two years is directly linked to the company optimizing its leased computing power costs, making its models more efficient, and introducing high-priced subscription options such as the $200 monthly ChatGPT Pro. The entry of more efficient models into the market by competitors, in particular, prompted OpenAI management to adopt a more aggressive cost management strategy.
Despite this dramatic leap in efficiency, significant deficits remain in OpenAI’s overall financial statements. Although the company achieved $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, representing a 16% growth compared to the previous year’s total, it is closing the year with a cash loss of $8-9 billion due to operating expenses and R&D investments.
Analysts predict that OpenAI may face a financing need of approximately $207 billion by 2030. The company plans to spend a total of $1.15 trillion by 2035 on hardware and cloud infrastructure from technology giants such as Oracle, Microsoft, and Nvidia. Current cash flow projections indicate that the company will only reach the break-even point in 2029.
Despite financial challenges and high expenses, OpenAI’s market capitalization continues to break records among investors. With the secondary share sale operation in October 2025, the company’s total valuation reached $500 billion.
