Recent documents reveal OpenAI’s financial ties to Microsoft, shedding light on the revenue-sharing agreement that has come under scrutiny. Tech writer Ed Zitron disclosed that OpenAI paid Microsoft $493.8 million in 2024, increasing to $865.8 million during the first nine months of 2025. Under the agreement, OpenAI returns 20% of its earnings to Microsoft, which in turn pays OpenAI a similar percentage from earnings generated via Bing and the Azure OpenAI Service.
Despite the substantial revenues, OpenAI’s costs are considerable, reaching approximately $8.65 billion for the initial nine months of 2025, primarily driven by inference costs for AI operations. Reports indicate that OpenAI’s revenue could top $20 billion annually, leading to concerns about the sustainability of its financial model. The revelations fuel ongoing debates about the valuation of AI companies in an industry that may currently be overvalued.
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