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ChatGPT Hits 1.2B Weekly Users, OpenAI Reveals
OpenAI Says ChatGPT Reaches 1.2 Billion People Weekly
OpenAI told developers at its DevDay event that ChatGPT now reaches more than 1.2 billion people every week. The company also disclosed that over 35 million people use ChatGPT Work and Codex weekly, and 2.5 million businesses now run OpenAI products in some form.
The numbers arrive alongside a financial milestone. OpenAI is closing in on a $70 billion annualized revenue rate, a figure that's climbed roughly 70 percent since the start of the third quarter, according to Axios. That growth is tied to enterprise sales and a price war OpenAI has waged against Anthropic's Claude and Chinese competitors, a fight it just escalated with the launch of GPT-6.1-Sol. Codex, OpenAI's coding assistant, is riding the same wave, benefiting from demand for the broader GPT-6 model family.
Anthropic isn't standing still either. Its own annualized revenue reportedly crossed $65 billion in July and may now be running neck and neck with OpenAI's, or ahead of it, as the company prepares for a possible IPO as early as November. The scale on display raises an obvious question: whether OpenAI's revenue can outpace the cost of the data centers powering it all.
Why this matters
Two companies now claim revenue rates near $70 billion, and both numbers are annualized projections built on current monthly figures, not audited earnings. That distinction matters for anyone budgeting around these platforms. If OpenAI's growth is coming from enterprise contracts and a price war against Claude and Chinese models, the per-token economics for developers could shift fast, in either direction, as both sides chase share instead of margin.
Anthropic filing for an IPO as early as November puts real financial disclosure on the calendar for the first time, which will let us check these ARR claims against actual audited numbers rather than press-release math. For founders building on either API, the practical question isn't whose weekly user count is bigger, it's how long a subsidized price war can last before someone raises rates or cuts free tiers. Watch what Anthropic's S-1, if it materializes, says about gross margins.
That filing will tell us more about the real state of this market than any user or revenue figure released so far.
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Common Questions Answered
How many people use ChatGPT weekly according to OpenAI's DevDay announcement?
OpenAI announced that ChatGPT now reaches more than 1.2 billion people every week. This represents a massive expansion of the platform's user base and demonstrates the widespread adoption of the AI chatbot across the global population.
What is OpenAI's current annualized revenue rate and how much has it grown?
OpenAI is closing in on a $70 billion annualized revenue rate, which has climbed approximately 70 percent since the start of the third quarter. This significant growth reflects the company's rapid expansion in the AI market and increasing demand for its products.
How many businesses are currently using OpenAI products?
According to OpenAI's DevDay disclosures, 2.5 million businesses now run OpenAI products in some form. Additionally, over 35 million people use ChatGPT Work and Codex on a weekly basis, highlighting strong enterprise adoption.
Why does the distinction between annualized projections and audited earnings matter for developers?
The distinction matters because OpenAI's $70 billion revenue figure is an annualized projection built on current monthly figures rather than audited earnings, which could affect how developers budget around the platform. If OpenAI's growth comes from enterprise contracts and competitive pricing against Claude and Chinese models, the per-token economics for developers could shift rapidly in either direction as companies prioritize market share over profit margins.
Further Reading
- ChatGPT now has 1.2 billion weekly users, OpenAI says - The Verge
- OpenAI takes on Meta with dots agent in enterprise AI push - Reuters
- ChatGPT now reaches 1.2 billion people every week, OpenAI says - The Decoder
- OpenAI says ChatGPT weekly active users reach 1.2 billion - TechFlow
- DevDay 2026 Recap - OpenAI
