OpenAI sees cash burn nearing $280 billion by 2030

Anabelle Colaco
22 Sep 2026, 08:43 GMT+10

OpenAI expects its rapid expansion to consume US$278 billion in cash over five years as the ChatGPT maker pours hundreds of billions of dollars into computing power and infrastructure
The company forecasts negative free cash flow of $278 billion between 2026 and 2030 as it invests heavily in the computing capacity required to train and operate its artificial intelligence models
The projections underscore OpenAI's substantial funding requirements as it seeks fresh investment

SAN FRANCISCO, California: OpenAI expects its rapid expansion to consume US$278 billion in cash over five years as the ChatGPT maker pours hundreds of billions of dollars into computing power and infrastructure, the Financial Times reported.

The company forecasts negative free cash flow of $278 billion between 2026 and 2030 as it invests heavily in the computing capacity required to train and operate its artificial intelligence models, according to a company presentation seen by the FT.

The projections underscore OpenAI's substantial funding requirements as it seeks fresh investment. The FT reported earlier this week that the company had held talks with investors over a potential funding round that could value it at about $1.2 trillion ahead of a possible stock market listing.

OpenAI filed confidentially for an initial public offering in June, but CEO Sam Altman said on Saturday that the company would not go public in 2026 because of concerns about AI safety.

Despite the projected cash burn, OpenAI expects its revenue to increase nearly tenfold over the five-year period, from $36 billion this year to $350 billion in 2030, the FT reported. The company projects cumulative revenue of $840 billion through the end of the decade.

Computing power and infrastructure are expected to represent OpenAI's largest expense. The company forecasts spending about $856 billion in that category by the end of 2030, according to the report.

OpenAI raised $122 billion in March at an $852 billion valuation but is on track to exhaust that cash by 2028, the FT said.

The company could not immediately be reached for comment outside regular business hours.