OpenAI Targets 220 Million Paid ChatGPT Subscribers by 2030 Amid Revenue Diversification Push

OpenAI aims for 220 million paying subscribers by 2030 with new adult tier

OpenAI has acknowledged that time spent on ChatGPT has slightly declined following the implementation of stricter content restrictions in August, according to a new report from The Information. To address this and prevent user migration to other platforms, the company is planning to introduce age verification features that would allow adult users to bypass these safety filters and engage in previously restricted topics, including the generation of erotica. The dip in engagement follows a series of safety updates OpenAI rolled out earlier this year, which included parental controls and stricter guardrails designed to prevent teenagers from discussing sensitive topics like suicide or engaging in adult-themed conversations. Prior to these restrictions, reports indicated that some users had established deep, sometimes romantic connections with the AI, despite knowing it was not a real person. The new age verification system aims to restore access to these more complex, mature interactions for adults while keeping minors protected. According to the report, regaining these users is critical for OpenAI's long-term financial growth. As of July, the service had approximately 35 million paid subscribers across its Plus and Pro tiers, representing about 5% of its total user base. The company has set an ambitious goal to increase this ratio to 8.6% by 2030, targeting at least 220 million paying customers out of a projected 2.6 billion weekly active users. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed last month that age verification features would be arriving in December, though specific details on how the process will work remain undisclosed. The verification could be voluntary or automated, similar to systems recently implemented by Google for YouTube and account access. The rollout timing aligns with the holiday season, leading to speculation that the feature could be part of a multi-day announcement event similar to last year's "12 Days of OpenAI."

OpenAI projects 220 million paying ChatGPT users by 2030: The Information - The Economic Times

OpenAI anticipates a significant surge in paid ChatGPT users. By 2030, an estimated 220 million weekly users are expected to subscribe. This move positions ChatGPT as a major subscription business globally. The company is also exploring new revenue streams through shopping and advertising features.Artificial intelligence firm OpenAI has projected at least 220 million of ChatGPT weekly users will pay for a subscription, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter. OpenAI projects that by 2030, 8.5% of an estimated 2.6 billion weekly users, or around 220 million people, will subscribe to its chatbot, positioning ChatGPT among the world's largest subscription businesses, according to the report. As of July, about 35 million users, which is roughly 5% of ChatGPT's weekly active base, paid for "Plus" or "Pro" plans at $20 and $200 a month, respectively, the report added. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. While OpenAI's annualized revenue run rate is expected to reach about $20 billion by this year-end, losses in the company are also mounting, sources have told Reuters. The Information had reported in September that OpenAI generated around $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, about 16% more than it generated all of last year and it burned $2.5 billion in large part due to its research and development costs for developing AI and for running ChatGPT. OpenAI expects to generate about 20% of its revenue from new products such as shopping- and advertising-driven features. This week it introduced a personal shopping assistant for ChatGPT, a move that could pave the way for monetization through ads or commission-based sales, the report added. (Reporting by Abu Sultan in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Rashmi Aich)

OpenAI Expects ChatGPT to Have 220 Million Paid Subscribers by 2030 | PYMNTS.com

The artificial intelligence (AI) startup also projects that the percentage of weekly users of the AI assistant who become paid subscribers will grow to 8.5% by 2030, up from 5% currently, Reuters reported Wednesday (Nov. 26), citing a paywalled article by The Information. OpenAI expects about 20% of its revenue to come from new products related to shopping and advertising, according to the report. For example, the personal shopping assistant for ChatGPT that was released this week could enable monetization through ads or commissions, the report said. It was reported Nov. 3 that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company is doing "well more" than $13 billion in revenue. That figure has been widely reported, but Altman told the BG2Pod podcast that OpenAI is doing "well more revenue than that" and that the company's revenue is growing steeply. Asked by one of the podcast's hosts if OpenAI could reach $100 billion in revenue in 2028 or 2029, Altman said, "How about '27?" In August, Nick Turley, head of product at OpenAI, said that ChatGPT was on track to reach 700 million weekly active users, up from 500 million at the end of March. "Every day, people and teams are learning, creating, and solving harder problems," Turley wrote in an Aug. 4 post on X. "Big week ahead. Grateful to the team for making ChatGPT more useful and delivering on our mission to everyone can benefit from AI." OpenAI also has a growing number of business customers. The company said on Nov. 5 that it now has more than 1 million business customers around the world and that this makes it "the fastest-growing business platform in history." That figure includes all organizations that pay OpenAI for business use, whether through ChatGPT for Work or through direct consumption of the company's models via its developer platform. "Our enterprise momentum is fueled in part by consumer adoption," OpenAI said in a Nov. 5 blog post. "With more than 800 million weekly users already familiar with ChatGPT, adoption and ROI within businesses is realized more rapidly -- pilots are shorter and rollouts face less friction."

OpenAI sees at least 220 mln users paying for ChatGPT by 2030- The Information By Investing.com

Investing.com-- OpenAI sees at least 220 million users of ChatGPT paying for a subscription in the next five years, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter. The company is focusing its efforts on convincing employers to sign enterprise subscriptions, the report said, with total ChatGPT users surpassing 800 million. But a bulk of these users are on the free tier of ChatGPT, with The Information report stating that OpenAI had at least 35 million paid subscribers. ChatGPT has several subscription tiers, ranging from as low as$5 dollars to $200 a month for the Pro plan, which offers access to the company's most advanced AI models. OpenAI had introduced an ultra low-cost tier, ChatGPT Go, across several developing economies earlier this year. India is the company's biggest userbase, as are several southeast Asian countries. The AI startup is in a mad dash to ramp up its revenue and meet its more than $1 trillion of spending commitments over the next decade.

OpenAI projects 220 million paying ChatGPT users by 2030, The Information Reports

(Reuters) -Artificial intelligence firm OpenAI has projected at least 220 million of ChatGPT weekly users will pay for a subscription, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter. OpenAI projects that by 2030, 8.5% of an estimated 2.6 billion weekly users, or around 220 million people, will subscribe to its chatbot, positioning ChatGPT among the world's largest subscription businesses, according to the report. As of July, about 35 million users, which is roughly 5% of ChatGPT's weekly active base, paid for "Plus" or "Pro" plans at $20 and $200 a month, respectively, the report added. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. While OpenAI's annualized revenue run rate is expected to reach about $20 billion by this year-end, losses in the company are also mounting, sources have told Reuters. The Information had reported in September that OpenAI generated around $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, about 16% more than it generated all of last year and it burned $2.5 billion in large part due to its research and development costs for developing AI and for running ChatGPT. OpenAI expects to generate about 20% of its revenue from new products such as shopping- and advertising-driven features. This week it introduced a personal shopping assistant for ChatGPT, a move that could pave the way for monetization through ads or commission-based sales, the report added. (Reporting by Abu Sultan in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Rashmi Aich)