OpenAI forecasts 220 million paying ChatGPT users by 2030: Report

OpenAI is projecting that at least 220 million of ChatGPT’s weekly users will adopt a paid subscription by 2030, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the company’s internal estimates.

According to the report, OpenAI anticipates that 8.5% of an estimated 2.6 billion weekly users—around 220 million people—will pay for access to ChatGPT by the end of the decade, positioning the chatbot among the world’s largest subscription-based services. As of July, approximately 35 million users, or around 5% of the platform’s weekly active base, were paying for the “Plus” or “Pro” plans priced at $20 and $200 per month, respectively, the outlet stated.

Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report, and OpenAI did not respond to its request for comment.

Although OpenAI’s annualised revenue run rate is expected to reach about $20 billion by the end of this year, the company’s losses are also rising, according to sources who spoke to Reuters. The Information previously reported in September that OpenAI generated around $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, marking a 16% increase over the entirety of the previous year, while burning through $2.5 billion—largely due to research and development expenses tied to AI development and ChatGPT operations.

The report added that OpenAI expects roughly 20% of its future revenue to come from new products, including shopping- and advertising-led features. The company this week introduced a personal shopping assistant within ChatGPT, a move seen as laying the groundwork for potential monetisation via advertising or commission-based sales.