OpenAI Power Capacity Hits 1.9GW as 2025 Revenue Surges to $20 Billion

Infrastructure and Revenue Grow in Lockstep

OpenAI compute capacity tripled to 1.9 gigawatts in 2025, alongside a record-breaking $20 billion in annualized recurring revenue. This milestone highlights a direct link between the physical infrastructure available and the company’s financial success. CFO Sarah Friar noted that compute is currently the scarcest resource in AI development.

The relationship between energy and income has proven to be nearly linear. Between 2023 and 2025, compute capacity grew about 9.5 times, while revenue jumped 10 times from $2 billion to over $20 billion. Friar suggests that even faster adoption could have occurred if more compute were available during this period.

To sustain this momentum, OpenAI is diversifying its hardware ecosystem to ensure resilience and certainty. The company now uses a portfolio approach, running frontier training on premium hardware while serving high-volume tasks on lower-cost infrastructure. This strategy helps keep costs at cents per million tokens for everyday users.

Looking toward 2026, the focus shifts to practical adoption in sectors like healthcare and science. Capacity is estimated to grow significantly, potentially reaching 5.7 gigawatts if the current 3X annual growth rate continues. Long term, some industry estimates suggest tens of gigawatts will be required as AI moves into a foundational role for the global economy.

The company is also expanding how it makes money beyond simple subscriptions. New streams include commerce and clearly labeled native advertising to help users move from exploration to action. These additions are designed to feel native to the experience and provide value to both users and partners.