# OpenAI revenue, valuation & funding

Markdown copy of https://realalpha.app/companies/openai/ on Real Alpha, the best minutes from long interviews with the people building AI. Cite and link the page, not this copy.

OpenAI was valued at $852B when its March 2026 round closed, and its annualized revenue topped a reported $40B in August 2026. It's private and filed confidentially for an IPO in June 2026. Its CFO has told staff it is targeting a listing by 2027.

Checked Nov 6, 2026

## At a glance

- Valuation: $852B post-money when its March 2026 round closed. In November 2026 it was reported to be in talks on a $20B round.
- Revenue: annualized revenue topped $40B in August 2026, as reported. Sacra estimates $50B in September 2026. OpenAI publishes no audited results.
- Status: private. No stock ticker. Filed confidentially for an IPO in June 2026.
- Founded: December 2015, as a nonprofit. Founders include Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman and Trevor Blackwell.
- CEO: [Sam Altman](https://realalpha.app/builders/sam-altman/).
- Investors: SoftBank, Microsoft, Amazon, NVIDIA, a16z, MGX, TPG and D. E. Shaw Ventures, among others.
- Products: ChatGPT, the Codex coding agent, the OpenAI API, GPT Image, Deep Research and the ChatGPT Atlas browser.
- Headquarters: 1455 and 1515 Third Street, San Francisco.
- On Real Alpha: 128 moments of its people talking, from 26 interviews

## Is OpenAI public? Can you buy its stock?

No. OpenAI is a private company, so its shares don't trade on any stock exchange and it has no ticker symbol. It hasn't disclosed an offering size, a price range or a ticker, according to [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/).

OpenAI said on June 8, 2026 that it had [filed confidentially](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/08/following-anthropic-openai-files-confidentially-for-ipo/) for an initial public offering. It submitted a draft S-1 registration statement to the SEC, [Capital Brief](https://www.capitalbrief.com/briefing/openai-confidentially-files-for-ipo-5c752769-e0f2-42b8-a086-7b49c79df108/) reported. Sacra says Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are leading the process, with a target valuation above $1 trillion.

CFO [Sarah Friar](https://realalpha.app/builders/sarah-friar/) told employees on August 20, 2026 that OpenAI is targeting a listing by 2027, per Sacra. She described the IPO as "a milestone, another fundraise." In September, [Sam Altman](https://realalpha.app/builders/sam-altman/) ruled out a 2026 listing, citing AI safety concerns. OpenAI has hired Cynthia Gaylor, DocuSign's former CFO, as its first head of investor relations.

Until a listing, its shares are held by the OpenAI Foundation, Microsoft, employees and other investors. A roughly $7B secondary sale at the $852B valuation let current and former employees sell stock, [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/) reports. This page reports facts and gives no investment advice.

From OpenAI's interviews

- [OpenAI sees an IPO as a funding option, not a finish line](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-sees-an-ipo-as-a-funding-option-not-a-finish-line/) · Sarah Friar · All-In · Jun 2, 2026

## Valuation, round by round

Its valuation went from $300B in March 2025 to $852B in March 2026, close to three times in a year.

- Nov 2026 · — · In talks · UAE investors including MGX · [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/guneyyildiz/2026/11/02/openai-cuts-round-to-20-billion-as-uae-investors-pair-capital-with-compute-capacity/)
- Mar 2026 · $852B · $122B · SoftBank (co-led with a16z, D. E. Shaw Ventures, MGX, TPG, and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates) · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- Oct 2025 · $500B · — · — · [Proactive Investors via Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-valuation-hits-730b-raises-163700450.html)
- Mar 2025 · $300B · $40B · SoftBank · [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/31/openai-raises-40b-at-300b-post-money-valuation/)

The $20B round reported in November 2026 is in talks and hasn't closed, and no valuation for it has been confirmed. In February 2026 OpenAI announced $110B at a $730B pre-money valuation, ahead of the March close.

## Revenue

OpenAI doesn't publish audited results. Sacra estimates its yearly run rate rose from $20B at the end of 2025 to $50B in September 2026, more than doubling.

- Sep 2026 · $50B · Estimate · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)
- Aug 2026 · $40B · Reported · [Yahoo Finance (Quartz)](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/openai-annualized-revenue-tops-40-111122841.html)
- Jul 2026 · $40B · Estimate · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)

A run rate is a month's revenue times twelve. It isn't a year's audited revenue, and Sacra's figures are estimates. Sacra puts quarterly revenue at $5.7B in Q1 2026 and $6.7B in Q2.

## How OpenAI makes money

OpenAI sells ChatGPT subscriptions, business plans and API access, and it has started selling ads. It said it was generating $2B in revenue per month in March 2026 ([OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)).

Sacra estimates the ads business reached $1B in annualized revenue by August 2026.

- **Subscriptions.** ChatGPT had over 50 million subscribers as of March 31, 2026. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- **Enterprise.** Business customers made up more than 40% of revenue in March 2026. OpenAI said they were on track to match consumer revenue by the end of 2026. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- **Developers.** The API charges per use. It processed more than 15 billion tokens per minute in March 2026. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- **Ads.** An ads pilot passed $100 million in ARR in under six weeks, OpenAI said in March 2026. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- **Microsoft's share.** Under the renegotiated partnership, OpenAI's revenue-share payments to Microsoft are capped and limited to payments through 2030. Microsoft keeps resell rights through 2032. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)

From OpenAI's interviews

- [OpenAI sees chat intent and memory as a basis for ads](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-sees-chat-intent-and-memory-as-a-basis-for-ads/) · Sarah Friar · All-In · Jun 2, 2026
- [OpenAI will rev-share with plugins and recommend by retention](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-will-rev-share-with-plugins-and-recommend-by/) · Tibo Sottiaux · Lenny's Podcast · Oct 4, 2026
- [OpenAI treats compute as a profit center](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-treats-compute-as-a-profit-center/) · Greg Brockman · Core Memory · Apr 22, 2026
- [OpenAI prioritizes adoption and compute over near-term cash flow](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-prioritizes-adoption-and-compute-over-near-term-cash/) · Sarah Friar · TBPN · Aug 7, 2025

## Products

ChatGPT is its main consumer product. Codex and the API serve developers, and both draw on the same models.

- **ChatGPT.** Its chat assistant. In November 2026 a product lead said its voice features had 250 million weekly users and users created 1.5 billion images a week. · [Free Press Journal](https://www.freepressjournal.in/tech/openai-says-chatgpt-search-volume-is-now-about-20-of-googles)
- **Codex.** Its coding agent. It served over 2 million weekly users in March 2026, up 5x in three months. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- **OpenAI API** (launched 2020). Lets developers build GPT models into their own apps, paid per use. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)
- **Dots.** A personal agent platform. [Tibo Sottiaux](https://realalpha.app/builders/tibo-sottiaux/) led its launch, along with ChatGPT Work.
- **Other products.** Wikipedia also lists GPT-6, GPT Image, Deep Research, Agents, ChatGPT Atlas and ChatGPT Health. · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI)
- **Pierre Computer Company.** OpenAI said in November 2026 it would buy the company, whose libraries power file browsing and code review in Codex. The deal still needs regulatory approval. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)
- **Weights.GG.** OpenAI acquired the company behind the Replay voice-cloning and model-sharing platform. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)

From OpenAI's interviews

- [ChatGPT Work runs the Codex harness in a managed cloud](https://realalpha.app/s/chatgpt-work-runs-the-codex-harness-in-a-managed-cloud/) · Tibo Sottiaux · The Pragmatic Engineer · Sep 9, 2026
- [Dot protects Altman’s mornings and helps him build](https://realalpha.app/s/dot-protects-altmans-mornings-and-helps-him-build/) · Sam Altman · AI & I · Sep 30, 2026
- [OpenAI is exploring humanoids and three device form factors](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-is-exploring-humanoids-and-three-device-form-factors/) · Sam Altman · Sources · Sep 1, 2026
- [OpenAI is building agents for computer work and personal life](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-is-building-agents-for-computer-work-and-personal/) · Greg Brockman · Core Memory · Apr 22, 2026

## Users and usage

OpenAI said ChatGPT had more than 900 million weekly active users at the end of March 2026 ([OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)). In early November 2026, consumer product lead Adam Fry put the figure at 1.2 billion, up about 200 million in two months ([Free Press Journal](https://www.freepressjournal.in/tech/openai-says-chatgpt-search-volume-is-now-about-20-of-googles)).

Sacra estimates OpenAI's coding and work products reached 20 million weekly active users by mid-August 2026.

From OpenAI's interviews

- [ChatGPT's first million users changed Altman's job overnight](https://realalpha.app/s/chatgpts-first-million-users-changed-altmans-job-overnight/) · Sam Altman · Relentless · Jul 25, 2026
- [ChatGPT emerged after OpenAI tested whether anyone would pay](https://realalpha.app/s/chatgpt-emerged-after-openai-tested-whether-anyone-would-pay/) · Greg Brockman · TBPN · Aug 7, 2025
- [GPT-4 demand showed when models became commercially useful](https://realalpha.app/s/gpt-4-demand-showed-when-models-became-commercially-useful/) · Sam Altman · Lightcone · Nov 8, 2024

## Leadership

- **[Sam Altman](https://realalpha.app/builders/sam-altman/),** co-founder and CEO. He has led OpenAI since 2019 and was earlier president of Y Combinator. · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI)
- **[Greg Brockman](https://realalpha.app/builders/greg-brockman/),** co-founder and president. Wikipedia also lists him as CEO of Applications. He was Stripe's first CTO. · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI)
- **Bret Taylor,** chairman. · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI)
- **[Sarah Friar](https://realalpha.app/builders/sarah-friar/),** CFO. She oversaw Square's 2015 IPO and helped take Nextdoor public as its CEO. · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI)
- **[Mark Chen](https://realalpha.app/builders/mark-chen/),** chief research officer. He led the teams behind DALL-E and Codex.
- **[Jakub Pachocki](https://realalpha.app/builders/jakub-pachocki/),** chief scientist.
- **[Tibo Sottiaux](https://realalpha.app/builders/tibo-sottiaux/),** head of ChatGPT and Codex.
- **[Fidji Simo](https://realalpha.app/builders/fidji-simo/),** former CEO of Applications, now a part-time adviser. She was Instacart's CEO before joining.
- **[Noam Shazeer](https://realalpha.app/builders/noam-shazeer/),** a co-author of the Transformer, who joined OpenAI in 2026.
- **Cynthia Gaylor,** its first head of investor relations. She was DocuSign's CFO. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)

From OpenAI's interviews

- [Chen rallied OpenAI researchers during the leadership crisis](https://realalpha.app/s/chen-rallied-openai-researchers-during-the-leadership-crisis/) · Mark Chen · Core Memory · Dec 1, 2025
- [OpenAI focuses recruiting on the people it most needs](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-focuses-recruiting-on-the-people-it-most-needs/) · Mark Chen · Core Memory · Dec 1, 2025
- [Altman plans forward from a few beliefs about the future](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-plans-forward-from-a-few-beliefs-about-the-future/) · Sam Altman · Relentless · Jul 25, 2026
- [OpenAI funds exploration to find the next research paradigm](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-funds-exploration-to-find-the-next-research-paradigm/) · Mark Chen · Core Memory · Dec 1, 2025

## Who owns OpenAI?

OpenAI's business runs through OpenAI Group PBC, a public benefit corporation controlled by the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation. A 2025 restructuring converted its for-profit arm into the PBC, which [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI) says is 26% owned by the Foundation.

At the October 2025 recapitalization, Microsoft held about 27 percent, a stake worth about $135bn, [Reuters reported](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/10/28/openai-restructures-into-public-benefit-firm-microsoft-takes-27-stake). Wikipedia's infobox lists Microsoft at 23.3%, the OpenAI Foundation at 22.5% and employees and other investors at 54.2%.

- **SoftBank** led the March 2025 round, $40B at a $300B valuation. · [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/31/openai-raises-40b-at-300b-post-money-valuation/)
- **SoftBank, a16z, D. E. Shaw Ventures, MGX, TPG and T. Rowe Price-advised accounts** co-led the March 2026 round of $122B at $852B. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- **Amazon and NVIDIA** anchored the March 2026 round with SoftBank. Microsoft also took part. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- **Microsoft** had invested $13.8bn by the October 2025 restructuring, according to Reuters. · [Al Jazeera (Reuters)](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/10/28/openai-restructures-into-public-benefit-firm-microsoft-takes-27-stake)
- **Individual investors** put in over $3 billion through bank channels in March 2026, a first for OpenAI. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- **MGX and other UAE investors** were expected to be the largest participants in a $20B round in talks in November 2026. · [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/guneyyildiz/2026/11/02/openai-cuts-round-to-20-billion-as-uae-investors-pair-capital-with-compute-capacity/)
- **The US government** was in preliminary talks about a 5% stake as of July 2, 2026, Sacra reported. No agreement had been reached. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)

From OpenAI's interviews

- [A prior exit helped Altman finance OpenAI's first steps](https://realalpha.app/s/a-prior-exit-helped-altman-finance-openais-first-steps/) · Sam Altman · Lightcone · Nov 8, 2024
- [OpenAI acted on AI scaling before larger rivals did](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-acted-on-ai-scaling-before-larger-rivals-did/) · Sam Altman · Relentless · Jul 25, 2026

## Competitors

OpenAI is a frontier lab, so it competes with other labs on models and on the apps built on them. Its coding app and its research hiring face the sharpest rivalry, by its own people's account.

- **[xAI](https://realalpha.app/companies/xai/),** which Elon Musk launched in 2023 as a competitor, OpenAI argued in court. · [PBS NewsHour (AP)](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/jury-sides-with-openai-saying-elon-musks-lawsuit-was-not-filed-on-time)
- **[Anthropic](https://realalpha.app/companies/anthropic/),** whose coding app Sam Altman says Codex trailed when OpenAI started building it.
- **[Google DeepMind](https://realalpha.app/companies/#google-deepmind),** which Altman says had the resources to lead on scaling but didn't move decisively.
- **[Meta](https://realalpha.app/companies/#meta),** which approached half of Mark Chen's direct reports while recruiting researchers.
- **[Microsoft](https://realalpha.app/companies/#microsoft),** an owner and partner that also competes. Satya Nadella describes the tie as a mix of competition and investment.

What its people said about the competition

- [OpenAI bet on Codex despite trailing CloudCode](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-bet-on-codex-despite-trailing-cloudcode/) · Sam Altman · Relentless · Jul 25, 2026
- [Copying a competitor can keep a company behind](https://realalpha.app/s/copying-a-competitor-can-keep-a-company-behind/) · Sam Altman · Uncapped · Jun 17, 2025
- [Model choice helps Codex compete without locking users in](https://realalpha.app/s/model-choice-helps-codex-compete-without-locking-users-in/) · Tibo Sottiaux · The Pragmatic Engineer · Sep 9, 2026
- [AI labs can build trust through small shared commitments](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-labs-can-build-trust-through-small-shared-commitments/) · Greg Brockman · Odd Lots · Sep 14, 2026

## Timeline and latest news

- Nov 2, 2026 · Cut the target for its new round to $20 billion, with UAE investors including MGX expected to be the largest. The round is in talks. · [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/guneyyildiz/2026/11/02/openai-cuts-round-to-20-billion-as-uae-investors-pair-capital-with-compute-capacity/)
- Nov 2026 · Adam Fry said ChatGPT had 1.2 billion weekly active users. · [Free Press Journal](https://www.freepressjournal.in/tech/openai-says-chatgpt-search-volume-is-now-about-20-of-googles)
- Nov 2026 · Announced it would acquire Pierre Computer Company, pending regulatory approval. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)
- Sep 2026 · Sacra estimated its annualized revenue at $50B. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)
- Sep 2026 · Sam Altman ruled out a 2026 listing, citing AI safety concerns. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)
- Aug 20, 2026 · CFO Sarah Friar told staff it was targeting a listing by 2027. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)
- Aug 14, 2026 · Annualized revenue topped $40 billion, Yahoo Finance reported. · [Yahoo Finance (Quartz)](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/openai-annualized-revenue-tops-40-111122841.html)
- Jul 2, 2026 · Was in preliminary talks about giving the US government a 5% stake, per Sacra. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)
- Jun 8, 2026 · Said it had filed confidentially for an IPO. · [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/08/following-anthropic-openai-files-confidentially-for-ipo/)
- May 18, 2026 · A jury found Elon Musk waited too long to sue, and his claims were dismissed. · [PBS NewsHour (AP)](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/jury-sides-with-openai-saying-elon-musks-lawsuit-was-not-filed-on-time)
- Mar 31, 2026 · Closed $122 billion in committed capital at an $852 billion post-money valuation. · [OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/)
- Feb 2026 · Announced a $110 billion round at a $730 billion pre-money valuation. · [Proactive Investors via Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-valuation-hits-730b-raises-163700450.html)
- Oct 28, 2025 · Restructured into OpenAI Group PBC, with Microsoft holding about 27 percent. · [Al Jazeera (Reuters)](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/10/28/openai-restructures-into-public-benefit-firm-microsoft-takes-27-stake)
- Mar 31, 2025 · Raised $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation, led by SoftBank. · [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/31/openai-raises-40b-at-300b-post-money-valuation/)
- Dec 27, 2023 · The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in federal court in New York. · [AI Vortex](https://www.aivortex.io/legal/ai-case-law/nyt-v-openai/)
- Dec 2015 · Founded as a nonprofit. · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI)

## Legal matters

OpenAI has won one major case and faces others. In the New York Times case, no court had ruled on fair use as of October 29, 2026, and summary judgment was pending ([AI Vortex](https://www.aivortex.io/legal/ai-case-law/nyt-v-openai/)).

- **Elon Musk,** a co-founder, sued OpenAI. On May 18, 2026 a nine-person jury in Oakland found he waited too long to sue. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dismissed his claims. · [PBS NewsHour (AP)](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/jury-sides-with-openai-saying-elon-musks-lawsuit-was-not-filed-on-time)
- **The New York Times** sued Microsoft and OpenAI in the Southern District of New York on December 27, 2023. The case sits in a consolidated proceeding before Judge Sidney H. Stein. · [AI Vortex](https://www.aivortex.io/legal/ai-case-law/nyt-v-openai/)
- **Apple** has sued OpenAI over trade secrets. Mark Gurman said in July 2026 the suit could slow OpenAI's hardware team.

From OpenAI's interviews

- [Altman says the trial will let OpenAI tell its founding story](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-says-the-trial-will-let-openai-tell-its-founding/) · Greg Brockman · Core Memory · Apr 22, 2026

## In their own words, and what followed

- [OpenAI sees an IPO as a funding option, not a finish line](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-sees-an-ipo-as-a-funding-option-not-a-finish-line/) · Sarah Friar · All-In · Jun 2, 2026
  > “No one remembers who went first, Google or Yahoo, Lyft or Uber.”
  Reported after · Six days later, OpenAI said it had filed confidentially for an initial public offering. · [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/08/following-anthropic-openai-files-confidentially-for-ipo/)

- [OpenAI sees chat intent and memory as a basis for ads](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-sees-chat-intent-and-memory-as-a-basis-for-ads/) · Sarah Friar · All-In · Jun 2, 2026
  > “So imagine putting memory and context next to intent. You should have a very potent ad platform”
  Reported after · Sacra estimates the ads business reached $1B in annualized revenue by August 2026. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)

- [OpenAI bet on Codex despite trailing CloudCode](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-bet-on-codex-despite-trailing-cloudcode/) · Sam Altman · Relentless · Jul 25, 2026
  > “it seemed like a kind of crazy kamikaze mission to try to beat them with a coding app”
  Reported after · By mid-August 2026, OpenAI's coding and work products had 20 million weekly active users, Sacra reports. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)

- [OpenAI prioritizes adoption and compute over near-term cash flow](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-prioritizes-adoption-and-compute-over-near-term-cash/) · Sarah Friar · TBPN · Aug 7, 2025
  > “we are not a company that should be optimizing for free cash flow today because there's just too much opportunity.”
  Reported after · In September 2026 Sacra cited a Financial Times report that OpenAI projected $278B in negative free cash flow from 2026 through 2030. · [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/)

## What others say about OpenAI

- [OpenAI's open Codex strategy could win the application layer](https://realalpha.app/s/openais-open-codex-strategy-could-win-the-application-layer/) · Matthew Harris · How I Invest · Oct 26, 2026
  > “they're still going to sell a lot of OpenAI tokens into codex”
- [OpenAI should have reset governance when it went for-profit](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-should-have-reset-governance-when-it-went-for-profit/) · Ben Horowitz · All-In · Oct 17, 2026
  > “when they went from being a non-profit to a for-profit, they should have done a make right.”
- [Harris says OpenAI's safety-minded staff gradually left](https://realalpha.app/s/harris-says-openais-safety-minded-staff-gradually-left/) · Jeremie Harris · 80,000 Hours Podcast · Nov 5, 2026
  > “And there's been this evaporative cooling effect at OpenAI where year after year, there are rounds of selection.”
- [Ed predicts OpenAI could run out of cash in 2027](https://realalpha.app/s/ed-predicts-openai-could-run-out-of-cash-in-2027/) · Ed Zitron · The Diary Of A CEO · Aug 27, 2026
  > “They are going to need to raise at least $100 billion a year just to survive.”
- [Microsoft and OpenAI compete while sharing key infrastructure](https://realalpha.app/s/microsoft-and-openai-compete-while-sharing-key/) · Satya Nadella · MD MEETS · Nov 29, 2025

## Questions people ask

### Is OpenAI a public company? Can I buy OpenAI stock?

No. OpenAI is private and has no ticker, so its shares aren't sold on any exchange. It filed confidentially for an IPO in June 2026.

### When will OpenAI IPO?

CFO Sarah Friar told staff in August 2026 that it is targeting a listing by 2027, per [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/). Sam Altman ruled out a 2026 listing in September.

### Who owns OpenAI?

The nonprofit OpenAI Foundation controls OpenAI Group PBC. Microsoft held about 27 percent in October 2025, [Reuters reported](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/10/28/openai-restructures-into-public-benefit-firm-microsoft-takes-27-stake). Employees and investors such as SoftBank, Amazon and NVIDIA hold the rest.

### Who is the CEO of OpenAI?

[Sam Altman](https://realalpha.app/builders/sam-altman/), a co-founder who has led it since 2019.

### Who founded OpenAI?

Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman and Trevor Blackwell, among others, in December 2015.

### How much is OpenAI worth?

$852B post-money when its March 2026 round closed, [OpenAI said](https://openai.com/index/accelerating-the-next-phase-ai/). A $20B round was in talks in November 2026, with no valuation confirmed.

### How much revenue does OpenAI make?

Its annualized revenue topped $40B in August 2026, [Yahoo Finance reported](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/openai-annualized-revenue-tops-40-111122841.html). Sacra estimates $50B in September 2026.

### Is OpenAI profitable?

It doesn't publish audited results. [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/openai/) estimates a 33% gross margin and cites a Financial Times report of $278B in projected negative free cash flow from 2026 through 2030.

### How does OpenAI make money?

ChatGPT subscriptions, business plans, pay-per-use API access and ads. Enterprise made up more than 40% of revenue in March 2026.

### How many people use ChatGPT?

1.2 billion weekly active users in early November 2026, [Free Press Journal reported](https://www.freepressjournal.in/tech/openai-says-chatgpt-search-volume-is-now-about-20-of-googles). It had over 50 million subscribers in March 2026.

### Where is OpenAI headquartered?

1455 and 1515 Third Street, San Francisco.

### Who are OpenAI's competitors?

Other frontier labs, including xAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind. Meta has also competed for its researchers.

## Every moment from OpenAI's people

### Why Sam Altman is against a single superintelligence
Cheeky Pint · Oct 29, 2026

- [Agent teams may improve both capability and alignment](https://realalpha.app/s/agent-teams-may-improve-both-capability-and-alignment/) · 3 min
- [AI math breakthroughs put discovery and researchers in tension](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-math-breakthroughs-put-discovery-and-researchers-in/) · 7 min
- [Personal agents could make business interfaces less important](https://realalpha.app/s/personal-agents-could-make-business-interfaces-less/) · 4 min
- [Memory makers are cautious because past cycles punished capacity investment](https://realalpha.app/s/memory-makers-are-cautious-because-past-cycles-punished/) · 3 min
- [Math-training methods may transfer to AI research](https://realalpha.app/s/math-training-methods-may-transfer-to-ai-research/) · 3 min
- [AI scans may uncover more serious software vulnerabilities](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-scans-may-uncover-more-serious-software-vulnerabilities/) · 3 min
- [Altman wants five-year gigawatt costs down from $70B to $20B](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-wants-five-year-gigawatt-costs-down-from-70b-to-20b/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI favors iterative deployment to keep people in control](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-favors-iterative-deployment-to-keep-people-in-control/) · 3 min

### Why OpenAI Is Racing to Make Computer Use Superhuman
a16z Podcast · Oct 26, 2026

- [Agents will extend legacy software and enable new products](https://realalpha.app/s/agents-will-extend-legacy-software-and-enable-new-products/) · 8 min

### Should You Trust ChatGPT With Your Health?
a16z Podcast · Oct 20, 2026

- [Cheaper medical AI needs workflow integration to cut costs](https://realalpha.app/s/cheaper-medical-ai-needs-workflow-integration-to-cut-costs/) · 5 min
- [OpenAI aggregates hundreds of physicians to handle disagreement](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-aggregates-hundreds-of-physicians-to-handle/) · 3 min
- [Legacy healthcare software is ripe for computer-use agents](https://realalpha.app/s/legacy-healthcare-software-is-ripe-for-computer-use-agents/) · 3 min

### The Changing Physics of Cybersecurity and Drug Development with OpenAI President Greg Brockman
No Priors · Oct 15, 2026

- [AI gives defenders a window to find and fix security flaws](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-gives-defenders-a-window-to-find-and-fix-security-flaws/) · 7 min

### OpenAI’s Head of ChatGPT: We’re entering a new era of AI (again) | Tibo Sottiaux
Lenny's Podcast · Oct 4, 2026

- [Most internet actions will soon be taken by agents](https://realalpha.app/s/most-internet-actions-will-soon-be-taken-by-agents/) · 2 min
- [OpenAI will rev-share with plugins and recommend by retention](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-will-rev-share-with-plugins-and-recommend-by/) · 3 min
- [A Dot warned Tibo of a production outage before a live demo](https://realalpha.app/s/a-dot-warned-tibo-of-a-production-outage-before-a-live-demo/) · 2 min

### How Sam Altman Actually Uses Dots to Run OpenAI and His Life
AI & I · Sep 30, 2026

- [Dot protects Altman’s mornings and helps him build](https://realalpha.app/s/dot-protects-altmans-mornings-and-helps-him-build/) · 8 min
- [AI changes how much a small startup team can build](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-changes-how-much-a-small-startup-team-can-build/) · 3 min
- [Fast AI makes iteration feel fundamentally different](https://realalpha.app/s/fast-ai-makes-iteration-feel-fundamentally-different/) · 3 min
- [Live documents can keep a business dashboard current](https://realalpha.app/s/live-documents-can-keep-a-business-dashboard-current/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI is betting on a wave of small-team companies](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-is-betting-on-a-wave-of-small-team-companies/) · 3 min
- [Subscription portability removes friction for trying AI apps](https://realalpha.app/s/subscription-portability-removes-friction-for-trying-ai-apps/) · 2 min

### OpenAI President Greg Brockman on Doing Business in the Wake of Hugging Face | Odd Lots
Odd Lots · Sep 14, 2026

- [OpenAI moved safety checks earlier after the Hugging Face breach](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-moved-safety-checks-earlier-after-the-hugging-face/) · 6 min
- [Reward hacking happens when models exploit imperfect graders](https://realalpha.app/s/reward-hacking-happens-when-models-exploit-imperfect-graders/) · 7 min
- [OpenAI treats compute as a scarce capital allocation problem](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-treats-compute-as-a-scarce-capital-allocation-problem/) · 4 min
- [Pacing targets frontier compute, not hobby projects](https://realalpha.app/s/pacing-targets-frontier-compute-not-hobby-projects/) · 4 min
- [AI labs can build trust through small shared commitments](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-labs-can-build-trust-through-small-shared-commitments/) · 4 min
- [Capability gains can reduce chain-of-thought visibility](https://realalpha.app/s/capability-gains-can-reduce-chain-of-thought-visibility/) · 4 min
- [OpenAI weighs safety gains before sharing research](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-weighs-safety-gains-before-sharing-research/) · 3 min
- [Brockman says the math model's data predates the mathematician's result](https://realalpha.app/s/brockman-says-the-math-models-data-predates-the/) · 4 min

### Building Codex with Tibo Sottiaux
The Pragmatic Engineer · Sep 9, 2026

- [The harness fills model gaps until training catches up](https://realalpha.app/s/the-harness-fills-model-gaps-until-training-catches-up/) · 5 min
- [AI can automate correctness checks in code review](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-can-automate-correctness-checks-in-code-review/) · 5 min
- [Good boundaries make AI-driven rearchitecture safer](https://realalpha.app/s/good-boundaries-make-ai-driven-rearchitecture-safer/) · 4 min
- [Open source builds community but adds operational costs](https://realalpha.app/s/open-source-builds-community-but-adds-operational-costs/) · 5 min
- [Model choice helps Codex compete without locking users in](https://realalpha.app/s/model-choice-helps-codex-compete-without-locking-users-in/) · 3 min
- [Agents could make cloud development environments practical again](https://realalpha.app/s/agents-could-make-cloud-development-environments-practical/) · 5 min
- [ChatGPT Work runs the Codex harness in a managed cloud](https://realalpha.app/s/chatgpt-work-runs-the-codex-harness-in-a-managed-cloud/) · 5 min
- [Tibo uses mobile agents to turn questions into reports and prototypes](https://realalpha.app/s/tibo-uses-mobile-agents-to-turn-questions-into-reports-and/) · 3 min

### Sam Altman on Astra, AGI, and the future of OpenAI
Sources · Sep 1, 2026

- [Alignment means reliably following the user’s intent](https://realalpha.app/s/alignment-means-reliably-following-the-users-intent/) · 4 min
- [AI backlash calls for more everyday value from the technology](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-backlash-calls-for-more-everyday-value-from-the/) · 7 min
- [OpenAI is exploring humanoids and three device form factors](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-is-exploring-humanoids-and-three-device-form-factors/) · 5 min
- [Weak signals and a security incident prompted OpenAI’s training pause](https://realalpha.app/s/weak-signals-and-a-security-incident-prompted-openais/) · 5 min
- [OpenAI shifted focus from side projects to model capability](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-shifted-focus-from-side-projects-to-model-capability/) · 2 min
- [Altman trusts OpenAI’s compute plans more than the industry’s](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-trusts-openais-compute-plans-more-than-the-industrys/) · 3 min
- [Altman favors model testing but not customer-by-customer access rules](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-favors-model-testing-but-not-customer-by-customer/) · 3 min
- [Some see OpenAI’s latest internal models as AGI-like](https://realalpha.app/s/some-see-openais-latest-internal-models-as-agi-like/) · 4 min

### Sam Altman on AGI, Compute, and Human Agency
Invest Like the Best · Jul 28, 2026

- [Broad access to AI helps protect human agency](https://realalpha.app/s/broad-access-to-ai-helps-protect-human-agency/) · 3 min

### Sam Altman - How to Start a Startup
Relentless · Jul 25, 2026

- [AI may make us busier as our ambitions keep expanding](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-may-make-us-busier-as-our-ambitions-keep-expanding/) · 3 min
- [Altman says he was too cautious on compute investment](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-says-he-was-too-cautious-on-compute-investment/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI kills successful projects when compute has a better use](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-kills-successful-projects-when-compute-has-a-better/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI bet on Codex despite trailing CloudCode](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-bet-on-codex-despite-trailing-cloudcode/) · 3 min
- [ChatGPT's first million users changed Altman's job overnight](https://realalpha.app/s/chatgpts-first-million-users-changed-altmans-job-overnight/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI acted on AI scaling before larger rivals did](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-acted-on-ai-scaling-before-larger-rivals-did/) · 4 min
- [Altman plans forward from a few beliefs about the future](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-plans-forward-from-a-few-beliefs-about-the-future/) · 3 min
- [The joint-stock company made large-scale innovation possible](https://realalpha.app/s/the-joint-stock-company-made-large-scale-innovation-possible/) · 4 min

### OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar: IPO, AI Rivalries, New Device, and Spending $100B+ on Compute
All-In · Jun 2, 2026

- [Compute shortages reach beyond chips and power](https://realalpha.app/s/compute-shortages-reach-beyond-chips-and-power/) · 6 min
- [Falling compute costs can improve customer economics](https://realalpha.app/s/falling-compute-costs-can-improve-customer-economics/) · 7 min
- [OpenAI sees an IPO as a funding option, not a finish line](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-sees-an-ipo-as-a-funding-option-not-a-finish-line/) · 2 min
- [OpenAI says one model across products compounds its advantage](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-says-one-model-across-products-compounds-its/) · 4 min
- [OpenAI uses cloud partners to shift compute spending toward opex](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-uses-cloud-partners-to-shift-compute-spending-toward/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI argues agent memory keeps models close to customers](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-argues-agent-memory-keeps-models-close-to-customers/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI sees chat intent and memory as a basis for ads](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-sees-chat-intent-and-memory-as-a-basis-for-ads/) · 3 min

### The OpenAI Founders On Their Plan To Battle Elon, Compute And Everything Else
Core Memory · Apr 22, 2026

- [AI could raise living standards and deepen inequality](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-could-raise-living-standards-and-deepen-inequality/) · 5 min
- [OpenAI is building agents for computer work and personal life](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-is-building-agents-for-computer-work-and-personal/) · 7 min
- [Altman says the trial will let OpenAI tell its founding story](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-says-the-trial-will-let-openai-tell-its-founding/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI's robot-hand project stalled on hardware reliability](https://realalpha.app/s/openais-robot-hand-project-stalled-on-hardware-reliability/) · 5 min
- [OpenAI treats compute as a profit center](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-treats-compute-as-a-profit-center/) · 4 min
- [OpenAI plans staged releases for cyber-capable models](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-plans-staged-releases-for-cyber-capable-models/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI shifted safety from messaging to deployment](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-shifted-safety-from-messaging-to-deployment/) · 4 min
- [Altman describes the shock of an incident at home](https://realalpha.app/s/altman-describes-the-shock-of-an-incident-at-home/) · 4 min

### OpenAI’s Chief Scientist on Continual Learning Hype, RL Beyond Code, & Future Alignment Directions
Unsupervised Learning · Apr 9, 2026

- [Why OpenAI hides chains of thought to keep them monitorable](https://realalpha.app/s/why-openai-hides-chains-of-thought-to-keep-them-monitorable/) · 6 min
- [In-context learning may beat custom RL for most companies](https://realalpha.app/s/in-context-learning-may-beat-custom-rl-for-most-companies/) · 4 min
- [Continual learning is what scaling GPT models was always for](https://realalpha.app/s/continual-learning-is-what-scaling-gpt-models-was-always-for/) · 2 min

### OpenClaw: The Viral AI Agent that Broke the Internet - Peter Steinberger | Lex Fridman Podcast #491
Lex Fridman Podcast · Feb 12, 2026

- [Squatters sniped his accounts in seconds during the rename](https://realalpha.app/s/squatters-sniped-his-accounts-in-seconds-during-the-rename/) · 4 min
- [Empathize with the agent's blank-slate view of your code](https://realalpha.app/s/empathize-with-the-agents-blank-slate-view-of-your-code/) · 4 min

### OpenAI's Fidji Simo on why ads are coming to ChatGPT
Sources · Feb 11, 2026

- [ChatGPT is starting with intent-based ads and firm limits](https://realalpha.app/s/chatgpt-is-starting-with-intent-based-ads-and-firm-limits/) · 8 min
- [AI relationships need guardrails, not a blanket ban](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-relationships-need-guardrails-not-a-blanket-ban/) · 6 min
- [OpenAI separates long-term research from product deadlines](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-separates-long-term-research-from-product-deadlines/) · 4 min
- [Codex could let solo builders do work once done by teams](https://realalpha.app/s/codex-could-let-solo-builders-do-work-once-done-by-teams/) · 3 min

### How OpenClaw's Creator Uses AI to Run His Life in 40 Minutes | Peter Steinberger
Behind the Craft · Feb 1, 2026

- [Long-running agents can automate work without making good products](https://realalpha.app/s/long-running-agents-can-automate-work-without-making-good/) · 6 min
- [Peter steers coding agents through conversation, not plan mode](https://realalpha.app/s/peter-steers-coding-agents-through-conversation-not-plan/) · 6 min
- [AI can handle errands, but its camera judgment can fail](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-can-handle-errands-but-its-camera-judgment-can-fail/) · 3 min
- [Personal AI assistants could replace many phone apps](https://realalpha.app/s/personal-ai-assistants-could-replace-many-phone-apps/) · 3 min
- [OpenClaw improvised around missing integrations](https://realalpha.app/s/openclaw-improvised-around-missing-integrations/) · 3 min
- [AI lets engineers carry their system thinking across languages](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-lets-engineers-carry-their-system-thinking-across/) · 2 min

### The creator of OpenClaw: "I ship code I don't read"
The Pragmatic Engineer · Jan 28, 2026

- [Agents work best when they can test and debug their own output](https://realalpha.app/s/agents-work-best-when-they-can-test-and-debug-their-own/) · 6 min
- [A single prompt is a poor test of AI coding](https://realalpha.app/s/a-single-prompt-is-a-poor-test-of-ai-coding/) · 4 min
- [AI adoption requires redesigning teams and codebases](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-adoption-requires-redesigning-teams-and-codebases/) · 4 min
- [Codex trades speed for stronger context on complex apps](https://realalpha.app/s/codex-trades-speed-for-stronger-context-on-complex-apps/) · 6 min
- [CLIs let agents filter and chain tool calls](https://realalpha.app/s/clis-let-agents-filter-and-chain-tool-calls/) · 3 min
- [AI makes upfront planning cheaper to revise, not unnecessary](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-makes-upfront-planning-cheaper-to-revise-not-unnecessary/) · 3 min
- [A 50,000-page PDF forced a two-month redesign](https://realalpha.app/s/a-50-000-page-pdf-forced-a-two-month-redesign/) · 2 min
- [Burnout came from lost belief and conflict, not just long hours](https://realalpha.app/s/burnout-came-from-lost-belief-and-conflict-not-just-long/) · 4 min

### 🦞 Moltbot / Clawdbot Creator Peter Steinberger, Palmer Luckey, and more
TBPN · Jan 27, 2026

- [A personal assistant emerged from a simple messaging hack](https://realalpha.app/s/a-personal-assistant-emerged-from-a-simple-messaging-hack/) · 6 min
- [Personal agents could reduce apps to APIs](https://realalpha.app/s/personal-agents-could-reduce-apps-to-apis/) · 4 min

### How OpenAI Shapes Its Research And What's Next - EP 46 Mark Chen
Core Memory · Dec 1, 2025

- [OpenAI funds exploration to find the next research paradigm](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-funds-exploration-to-find-the-next-research-paradigm/) · 6 min
- [Pre-training still has room to scale](https://realalpha.app/s/pre-training-still-has-room-to-scale/) · 4 min
- [OpenAI wants AI to conduct research end to end](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-wants-ai-to-conduct-research-end-to-end/) · 6 min
- [OpenAI avoids rewarding models for human-pleasing reasoning](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-avoids-rewarding-models-for-human-pleasing-reasoning/) · 4 min
- [Chen rallied OpenAI researchers during the leadership crisis](https://realalpha.app/s/chen-rallied-openai-researchers-during-the-leadership-crisis/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI says it could use 10 times more compute](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-says-it-could-use-10-times-more-compute/) · 3 min
- [Models bring different intuitions to research problems](https://realalpha.app/s/models-bring-different-intuitions-to-research-problems/) · 4 min
- [OpenAI focuses recruiting on the people it most needs](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-focuses-recruiting-on-the-people-it-most-needs/) · 4 min

### Marc Andreessen & Ilya Sutskever Host TBPN
TBPN · Oct 31, 2025

- [A superintelligence ban lacks a workable definition and reach](https://realalpha.app/s/a-superintelligence-ban-lacks-a-workable-definition-and/) · 5 min
- [Dean thinks AI drives roughly 40% of GDP growth](https://realalpha.app/s/dean-thinks-ai-drives-roughly-40-of-gdp-growth/) · 4 min

### OpenAI LIVE: Greg Brockman, Mark Chen & More
TBPN · Aug 7, 2025

- [ChatGPT emerged after OpenAI tested whether anyone would pay](https://realalpha.app/s/chatgpt-emerged-after-openai-tested-whether-anyone-would-pay/) · 6 min
- [OpenAI prioritizes adoption and compute over near-term cash flow](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-prioritizes-adoption-and-compute-over-near-term-cash/) · 5 min
- [Test-time compute compounds with pretraining and reinforcement learning](https://realalpha.app/s/test-time-compute-compounds-with-pretraining-and/) · 4 min
- [AI agents may help with personal tasks people must coordinate themselves](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-agents-may-help-with-personal-tasks-people-must/) · 3 min

### Sam Altman on The Future of AI | Ep. 13
Uncapped · Jun 17, 2025

- [AI could make scientific discovery its biggest impact](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-could-make-scientific-discovery-its-biggest-impact/) · 4 min
- [Superintelligence may not make society feel different](https://realalpha.app/s/superintelligence-may-not-make-society-feel-different/) · 4 min
- [Copying a competitor can keep a company behind](https://realalpha.app/s/copying-a-competitor-can-keep-a-company-behind/) · 3 min
- [OpenAI's early robot hand failed for mechanical reasons](https://realalpha.app/s/openais-early-robot-hand-failed-for-mechanical-reasons/) · 2 min
- [OpenAI wants its AI to work across every service](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-wants-its-ai-to-work-across-every-service/) · 4 min
- [AI infrastructure depends on energy abundance](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-infrastructure-depends-on-energy-abundance/) · 3 min

### Noam Shazeer and Jack Rae: Scaling Test-time Compute, Reactions to Ilya & AGI
Unsupervised Learning · Mar 17, 2025

- [Inference is cheap enough to justify much more thinking](https://realalpha.app/s/inference-is-cheap-enough-to-justify-much-more-thinking/) · 6 min
- [Research teams need both bottom-up and top-down bets](https://realalpha.app/s/research-teams-need-both-bottom-up-and-top-down-bets/) · 8 min
- [Hallucinations made entertainment a natural early use](https://realalpha.app/s/hallucinations-made-entertainment-a-natural-early-use/) · 2 min

### Jeff Dean & Noam Shazeer — 25 years at Google: from PageRank to AGI
Dwarkesh Podcast · Feb 12, 2025

- [Inference has room to get much more expensive](https://realalpha.app/s/inference-has-room-to-get-much-more-expensive/) · 5 min
- [Mixture-of-experts models still need all experts in memory](https://realalpha.app/s/mixture-of-experts-models-still-need-all-experts-in-memory/) · 5 min

### How To Build The Future: Sam Altman
Lightcone · Nov 8, 2024

- [OpenAI bet on deep learning and scale before the field agreed](https://realalpha.app/s/openai-bet-on-deep-learning-and-scale-before-the-field/) · 6 min
- [GPT-4 demand showed when models became commercially useful](https://realalpha.app/s/gpt-4-demand-showed-when-models-became-commercially-useful/) · 3 min
- [Current models may enable innovation sooner than expected](https://realalpha.app/s/current-models-may-enable-innovation-sooner-than-expected/) · 4 min
- [Conviction should give way when the evidence arrives](https://realalpha.app/s/conviction-should-give-way-when-the-evidence-arrives/) · 3 min
- [AI gives startups an edge when they move faster than incumbents](https://realalpha.app/s/ai-gives-startups-an-edge-when-they-move-faster-than/) · 2 min
- [A failed startup can still compress years of learning](https://realalpha.app/s/a-failed-startup-can-still-compress-years-of-learning/) · 3 min
- [Founder peers can raise your ambition more than school](https://realalpha.app/s/founder-peers-can-raise-your-ambition-more-than-school/) · 4 min
- [A prior exit helped Altman finance OpenAI's first steps](https://realalpha.app/s/a-prior-exit-helped-altman-finance-openais-first-steps/) · 2 min

## People on Real Alpha

- [Sam Altman](https://realalpha.app/builders/sam-altman/), Co-founder & CEO, OpenAI
- [Greg Brockman](https://realalpha.app/builders/greg-brockman/), Co-founder & President, OpenAI
- [Fidji Simo](https://realalpha.app/builders/fidji-simo/), Adviser, OpenAI; ex-CEO of Applications
- [Mark Chen](https://realalpha.app/builders/mark-chen/), Chief Research Officer, OpenAI
- [Noam Shazeer](https://realalpha.app/builders/noam-shazeer/), OpenAI; co-author of the Transformer
- [Tibo Sottiaux](https://realalpha.app/builders/tibo-sottiaux/), Head of ChatGPT and Codex, OpenAI
- [Noam Brown](https://realalpha.app/builders/noam-brown/), Research scientist, OpenAI
- [Sarah Friar](https://realalpha.app/builders/sarah-friar/), CFO, OpenAI
- [Wojciech Zaremba](https://realalpha.app/builders/wojciech-zaremba/), Co-founder, OpenAI
- [Jakub Pachocki](https://realalpha.app/builders/jakub-pachocki/), Chief Scientist, OpenAI
- [Peter Steinberger](https://realalpha.app/builders/peter-steinberger/), Creator of OpenClaw; personal agents, OpenAI
- [Ari Weinstein](https://realalpha.app/builders/ari-weinstein/), Head of Computer Use, OpenAI
- [Sherwin Wu](https://realalpha.app/builders/sherwin-wu/), Head of Engineering, OpenAI Platform
- [Olivier Godement](https://realalpha.app/builders/olivier-godement/), Head of Product, Business Products, OpenAI
- [Nikunj Handa](https://realalpha.app/builders/nikunj-handa/), Head of Product, API, OpenAI
- [Karan Singhal](https://realalpha.app/builders/karan-singhal/), Head of Health AI, OpenAI
- [Dean W. Ball](https://realalpha.app/builders/dean-w-ball/), Head of Strategic Futures, OpenAI

## How this page is sourced

Each figure links to the filing, company statement or news report it came from, with its date. Run rates are what reporters were told, not audited results; estimates and unconfirmed reports are marked. Quotes are what each person said on the record, with the minute they said it.