OpenAI eyes $600B compute spend ahead of IPO

OpenAI is targeting roughly $600 billion in total compute spending through 2030, according to a source familiar with the matter, as the ChatGPT maker prepares the groundwork for a potential IPO that could value the company at up to $1 trillion.

The massive projected investment highlights the scale of infrastructure required to power advanced artificial intelligence systems, including training and running large language models, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The source said OpenAI generated $13 billion in revenue in 2025, surpassing its earlier projection of $10 billion. Meanwhile, spending for the year reached $8 billion, below the company’s $9 billion internal target.

The figures come as chipmaker Nvidia nears completion of a reported $30 billion investment in OpenAI as part of a broader fundraising round. The AI startup is seeking to raise more than $100 billion, which would value it at approximately $830 billion, potentially one of the largest private capital raises ever.

OpenAI is backed by Microsoft, and according to CNBC, the company expects to generate more than $280 billion in cumulative revenue by 2030, split nearly evenly between consumer and enterprise businesses.

Chief executive Sam Altman has previously outlined even more ambitious infrastructure goals. Last year, he said OpenAI is committed to spending $1.4 trillion to build 30 gigawatts of computing capacity, enough to power roughly 25 million U.S. homes.

The aggressive spending plans reflect an escalating “compute arms race” in artificial intelligence, where access to vast processing power is increasingly viewed as the key competitive advantage.

However, rising costs are also putting pressure on margins. OpenAI told investors that expenses related to running AI models, known as inference, quadrupled in 2025. As a result, its adjusted gross margin fell to 33%, down from 40% in 2024.

The projected $600 billion compute investment signals that OpenAI is positioning itself not just as a software innovator, but as a full-scale AI infrastructure powerhouse.

If the fundraising round closes at the reported levels, it would solidify OpenAI’s place among the world’s most valuable private companies, and set the stage for what could become one of the most closely watched IPOs in tech history.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada