OpenAI's revenue hits $4.3B in H1 2025 amid rising demand
What's the story
OpenAI has reported a revenue of around $4.3 billion for the first half of 2025, a strong 16% increase from its total earnings last year. Despite solid top-line growth, the ChatGPT-maker incurred a $2.5 billion cash burn during this same period, largely driven by aggressive research and development spending.
Financials
R&D costs dominate expenses
The bulk of the expenses were attributed to research and development (R&D) costs, which amounted to $6.7 billion in the first half of 2025. Despite these high costs, OpenAI ended the period with approximately $17.5 billion in cash and securities. The company is now aiming for a full-year revenue target of $13 billion and a cash burn target of $8.5 billion.
Strategic moves
Stock sale talks and NVIDIA's investment plans
In August, it was reported that OpenAI was in early-stage talks for a stock sale to let employees cash out. This move could value the company at around $500 billion. Last week, NVIDIA announced plans to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and provide data-center chips. These developments highlight OpenAI's strategic growth plans and its potential market valuation.