OpenAI forecasts that as many as 220 million of ChatGPT’s weekly users will be paying subscribers by 2030. The estimate – roughly 8.5% of an expected 2.6 billion weekly-active user base would make ChatGPT one of the largest subscription platforms globally.
As of July 2025, around 35 million users (about 5% of weekly active users) already pay for ChatGPT “Plus” or “Pro” plans, priced at $20 and $200 per month, respectively.
The company anticipates its annualized revenue may reach approximately $20 billion by year-end. However, rising losses, driven by heavy investment in research, development, and infrastructure, remain a concern.
OpenAI is also looking to diversify its revenue streams: up to 20% of future revenue is expected to come from new offerings such as shopping- and advertising-driven features. The company recently launched a personal shopping assistant within ChatGPT, potentially paving the way for monetization through ads or sales commissions.
Broader Context: Infrastructure and Data-Center Expansion
The growth ambitions for paid ChatGPT subscriptions come alongside a broader push by OpenAI to expand its AI infrastructure — investments that may require large-scale data centers and reliable compute capacity.
- SoftBank plans to invest up to $3 billion to convert a factory in Ohio into a facility producing equipment for future OpenAI data centers.
- Foxconn, known for assembling consumer electronics and AI servers, has entered a partnership with OpenAI to co-design and manufacture key hardware for U.S.-based data centers.
These moves, often grouped under the broader Stargate Project, suggest OpenAI’s long-term strategy is not only to grow its user base but also to build a robust infrastructure backbone capable of supporting heavy AI workloads at scale.
