You have almost certainly used ChatGPT, but most people can’t clearly say who OpenAI is or how it grew this big. This page is a map.
OpenAI started in 2015 as a nonprofit AI research lab. Today it is one of the world’s most valuable AI companies, and it wants to make AI an everyday product for everyone. One tension has always come with it: a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to benefit humanity controls one of the world’s most valuable AI companies.
Key data snapshot
OpenAI is not yet listed and does not publish financial statements. The table separates official figures from media reports.
| Item | Data |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Corporate structure | Nonprofit OpenAI Foundation plus public benefit corporation OpenAI Group PBC; not listed |
| CEO | Sam Altman |
| Latest valuation | About US$852 billion post-money (March 2026 round, official) |
| Annualized revenue (ARR) | About US$50 billion (end of September 2026, OpenAI’s own method, according to Axios) |
| User scale | More than 1.2 billion weekly active ChatGPT users (October 7, 2026, official) |
| IPO | Confidentially submitted S-1 in June 2026; CEO said in September it will not go public in 2026 |
| Main products | ChatGPT, Codex, OpenAI API; flagship model GPT-6 Astra |
ARR annualizes recent revenue; it is not money actually received over a full year. OpenAI counts only the share it keeps, while Anthropic counts the full revenue of sales made through its cloud partners, so the two companies’ ARR can’t be compared directly. The “nearly US$70 billion” figure that circulated in September 2026 was an investor estimate using Anthropic’s method.
A quick guide in seven dimensions
1. Products: Its flagship model is GPT-6 Astra, released in September 2026. In the same month it launched GPT-6 Sol, Luna, and GPT-6.1 Sol. From October, everyday ChatGPT chat is gradually moving to GPT-6 (Sol on paid plans, Luna on Free and Go). Its product line is the broadest in the industry: ChatGPT, Codex, the API, GPT Image, the open-weight gpt-oss models, the always-on AI agent dots, and the Jalapeño inference chip it is developing with Broadcom. → What products does OpenAI make?
2. Market position: It started with mass-market consumers and then expanded into enterprises and the API. Most ChatGPT users do not pay. → OpenAI vs Anthropic
3. Compute and partnerships: It is building its own compute through the Stargate data center joint venture. According to CNBC, its partnership terms with Microsoft were revised in April 2026: OpenAI can now use multiple clouds, and Microsoft remains its main cloud partner. → What is Stargate?
4. Valuation and IPO: A private valuation is not a stock price. Full financial details will be visible only once the S-1 is made public. → OpenAI valuation and IPO
5. Ownership structure: The nonprofit foundation holds the power to appoint directors. Microsoft owns about 27% (the official figure from the 2025 restructuring), and SoftBank disclosed in October 2026 that it holds about 13%. → Who owns OpenAI?
6. Law and regulation: In May 2026 a jury found for OpenAI in Musk’s lawsuit, and Musk says he will appeal. The New York Times copyright case has no ruling as of October 2026. After the Hugging Face security incident in July 2026, the California Attorney General opened a formal investigation and served an investigative subpoena at the end of September, and a US Senate panel is also asking questions. → OpenAI’s legal battles
7. Leadership and supply chain: According to reports, several senior executives left in 2026, and both the infrastructure and product teams now report to President Greg Brockman. Its compute can’t get around Nvidia, TSMC, and electricity. → Leadership team, Supply-chain exposure
Key milestones
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Founded as a nonprofit AI research lab |
| 2019 | Creates a for-profit subsidiary; Microsoft invests and becomes its main cloud partner |
| 2022 | Launches ChatGPT, setting off the generative AI boom |
| 2023 | Board fires Sam Altman; a deal for his return is reached within five days, and the board is reshaped |
| 2025 | Releases the open-weight gpt-oss models; completes restructuring into a nonprofit foundation plus public benefit corporation |
| March 2026 | Private round gives it a post-money valuation of about US$852 billion |
| June 2026 | Confidentially submits S-1 |
| September 2026 | Releases the GPT-6 family (flagship GPT-6 Astra) and the always-on AI agent dots |
Further reading
- Why was Sam Altman fired and rehired? The complete story of OpenAI’s five-day boardroom crisis
- Who runs OpenAI? Its founders, current executives, and the key people who left
- What products does OpenAI make? The full map from ChatGPT and Codex to custom chips
- What is OpenAI worth? Its IPO timeline and how to read the “US$800 billion” valuation
- Who owns OpenAI? Investors, Microsoft’s stake, and the nonprofit/for-profit structure
- OpenAI vs Anthropic: two strategies behind ChatGPT and Claude
- What is Stargate? OpenAI’s compute bet and multi-cloud strategy
- OpenAI’s legal battles: the Musk lawsuit, copyright cases, and regulatory pressure
- OpenAI’s compute bottleneck: supply-chain exposure from Nvidia and TSMC to electricity
- OpenAI pre-IPO investigation (2026 Q1 edition)