In the high-voltage race for artificial intelligence, ambition hums louder than the servers that power it.
Recalibrating the Compute Colossus
OpenAI is informing investors that it now aims for roughly $600 billion in total compute spending by 2030, offering a clearer and lower projection than the $1.4 trillion in infrastructure commitments previously highlighted by CEO Sam Altman. Sources told CNBC that the revised target provides a more defined timeline as concerns surfaced over whether earlier expansion plans outpaced potential revenue.
The company expects total revenue to exceed $280 billion by 2030, with consumer and enterprise businesses contributing nearly equally. The updated spending roadmap is designed to align more directly with anticipated revenue growth.
Last year, OpenAI unveiled a series of multibillion-dollar infrastructure agreements, partnering with leading chipmakers and cloud providers to scale its capabilities. It is now finalizing a funding round that could surpass $100 billion, with about 90% coming from strategic investors. Nvidia is in talks to invest up to $30 billion in a round that may value OpenAI at a $730 billion pre-money valuation. Other strategic backers include SoftBank and Amazon.
Growth, Competition and a “Code Red”
Founded in 2015 as a nonprofit research lab, OpenAI surged into global prominence after launching ChatGPT in 2022. The chatbot now serves more than 900 million weekly active users, up from 800 million in October. In 2025, the company generated $13.1 billion in revenue—surpassing its $10 billion target—while burning $8 billion, less than the projected $9 billion.
Facing mounting competition, OpenAI declared a “code red” in December to sharpen ChatGPT’s performance against rivals such as Google and Anthropic. After a slowdown in the fall, usage has rebounded to record weekly and daily highs.
Meanwhile, its coding tool Codex has exceeded 1.5 million weekly active users, competing directly with Anthropic’s Claude Code amid accelerating adoption of AI developer tools.
In the furnace of competition, every recalibrated dollar becomes fuel for the next leap forward.
Summary
OpenAI has revised its compute spending target to $600 billion by 2030, aligning it with projected revenue of over $280 billion. Backed by investors including Nvidia, SoftBank and Amazon, the company is finalizing a funding round exceeding $100 billion. With ChatGPT nearing 900 million weekly users and intensifying competition, OpenAI is tightening strategy while accelerating growth.
