ChatGPT reaches 900 million active users as OpenAI secures $110 billion in historic funding

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

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OpenAI announced that ChatGPT has reached 900 million weekly active users and 50 million paying subscribers, marking one of the fastest adoption curves in consumer technology history. The milestone comes alongside a massive $110 billion funding round led by Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank, valuing the company at $730 billion.

ChatGPT Surges Toward 1 Billion Weekly Active Users

OpenAI announced Friday that ChatGPT has reached 900 million weekly active users, positioning the AI chatbot within striking distance of the 1 billion milestone

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. The figure represents a jump of 100 million users from the 800 million OpenAI reported in October 2025, and a dramatic increase from 700 million in September

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. According to Nick Turley, VP and head of ChatGPT, the platform serves as the entry point into AI for many users who rely on it for writing, building, research, planning trips, shopping, and getting tasks done

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. The number of weekly active users has more than doubled since February 2025, when ChatGPT had 400 million users, representing a 350% increase over just 18 months

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Source: ET

Source: ET

Record-Breaking Subscriber Momentum Accelerates Growth

Alongside its user milestone, OpenAI revealed it now has 50 million paying subscribers, with more than 5% of weekly active users converting to paid consumer subscriptions

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. The company emphasized that subscriber momentum accelerated meaningfully to start the year, with January and February on track to be the largest months for new subscribers in OpenAI's history

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. This growth trajectory demonstrates how deeply generative AI has penetrated global digital life, making ChatGPT one of the fastest-adopted technologies in history

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. The company also reported 9 million business subscribers, a fourfold increase from September

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OpenAI Secures $110 Billion in Historic Funding Round

The user growth announcement coincided with OpenAI revealing it has raised $110 billion in private funding, marking one of the largest private funding rounds in history

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. The new OpenAI funding includes a $50 billion investment from Amazon, along with $30 billion each from Nvidia and SoftBank, at a $730 billion pre-money valuation

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. The round remains open, with the company expecting more investors to join

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. The company valuation and investment scale underscore the tech industry's confidence in AI systems and OpenAI's dominant position in the market.

AI Adoption Expands Through Strategic Partnerships

ChatGPT's reach has expanded significantly through integrations with major platforms. Since August 2024, the AI chatbot has gained direct integration with Siri through iOS 18 and iOS 26

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. While Apple initially partnered with OpenAI for system-level AI adoption, the company has since made a deal with Google to use Gemini as the brains behind a more personal version of Siri and Apple Intelligence coming as soon as iOS 26.5

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. Apple has also opened up Xcode to agentic coding with the help of Anthropic and OpenAI tools

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. Despite these expanding partnerships, Microsoft and OpenAI sought to reassure partners that the fresh backing from Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank does not alter their existing alliance

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Source: CNET

Source: CNET

India Emerges as Key Growth Market

India has emerged as a critical market for ChatGPT's expansion. During his visit for the India AI Impact Summit, Sam Altman said the country now accounts for around 100 million weekly active users, making it OpenAI's second-largest market after the United States

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. The 100 million figure includes both free and paid users, with strong adoption among students, developers, small businesses, and enterprises

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. As usage scales, OpenAI notes that the product improves in ways people feel immediately: faster responses, higher reliability, stronger safety, and more consistent performance

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. This rapid growth has significantly outpaced rivals and sparked ongoing debates over responsible use, including concerns about AI hallucinations

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Source: 9to5Mac

Source: 9to5Mac

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