OpenAI Losses Surge Nearly 8X to $8.8 Billion in 2025
Exclusive financials reveal OpenAI operating losses hit .78 billion in 2025 as spending reached 4 billion, with 7.2 billion going to Microsoft alone.
BY FOUNDERBUILT AI NEWS
What happened
Exclusive financial figures obtained by independent journalist Ed Zitron reveal that OpenAI's operating losses surged nearly 8X in 2025, reaching .78 billion on revenue of just .7 billion. Total spending hit 4 billion as the company poured money into research, infrastructure, and its Microsoft partnership.
Why it matters
The numbers are staggering. Research and development alone consumed .81 billion, while cost of revenue reached .65 billion. A massive 7.2 billion in expenses went to Microsoft, covering compute infrastructure and partnership costs. OpenAI ended the year with .64 billion in liabilities to Microsoft. For comparison, OpenAI lost .09 billion in 2024 -- the 2025 figure represents a dramatic acceleration in cash burn.
What's next
The Financial Times previously reported OpenAI lost around 8.5 billion in 2025 when including non-operating charges. While the core business is growing revenue rapidly, the gap between income and spending remains enormous. With competitors like Anthropic and Google racing forward, OpenAI appears committed to spending whatever it takes to maintain its lead -- even as losses mount at an unprecedented rate.