OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, plans to go public in 2026 with a potential valuation up to $1 trillion and a target to raise $60 billion or more, according to internal reports [1]. The company generated $5.7 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2026, implying an annual revenue of about $22.8 billion, which falls short of its initial $30 billion target [1]. OpenAI’s revenue grew 233% in 2025, reaching $20 billion, but the company is projected to post losses totaling up to $115 billion through 2029 due to high AI infrastructure costs [1].
Since February 2026, OpenAI has been testing ads inside ChatGPT with selected advertisers and expanded these offerings in May by launching a new ad-buying platform that allows hundreds of companies to bid for placements during conversations [2, 3]. ChatGPT’s advertising model targets users based on conversational intent and shifts in user interest during chats, rather than relying on traditional keyword searches as used by Google [2]. Similarweb executive Heral Amir said, "When search was dominant, advertisers bought intent through keywords. Conversational AI changes that completely. The user's intent evolves during the conversation itself." She added, "This is a real threat on Google's side." [2]
About 46% of ChatGPT users who later saw ads started conversations without any commercial intent, demonstrating the platform’s ability to dynamically create buying interest [2]. Analysis of ad placements shows that software ads constitute approximately 34% of the ads, with many promoting travel and software products [3]. ChatGPT’s weekly user base is nearing 1 billion, making it a major platform for advertisers. Jasman Singh, lead analyst at Profound, said, "ChatGPT is one of the biggest surface areas for advertising in the history of technology." [3]
OpenAI faces intense competition from Google and Anthropic, with Google reportedly doubling its AI chatbot users to about 900 million, close to ChatGPT’s user count [1].
OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022 and began limited ad testing in February 2026, before expanding ad offerings in May 2026 [1, 3]. The company’s IPO and continued advertising expansion represent key upcoming milestones.
