OpenAI Hits $852 Billion Valuation as ChatGPT Reaches 900 Million Users
Updated
Updated · HBR.org Daily · Jun 1
OpenAI Hits $852 Billion Valuation as ChatGPT Reaches 900 Million Users
3 articles · Updated · HBR.org Daily · Jun 1
$852 billion is the valuation OpenAI secured in its latest funding round, underscoring how sharply investor appetite for generative AI has grown in 2026.
900 million regular users now use ChatGPT, while Google’s Gemini has surpassed 750 million, showing the market’s two biggest consumer AI platforms are scaling rapidly.
That growth comes three-and-a-half years after generative AI broke into the mainstream, with the past year marked by the rise of vibe coding and broader adoption of agentic workflows.
The figures suggest AI’s center of gravity is shifting from early experimentation to mass consumer use and deeper integration into everyday software and work.
OpenAI is valued at $852B but is not profitable. Is the AI boom a massive bubble about to pop?
With most companies failing at AI adoption, what is the secret of the successful 29%?
“Vibe coding” lets anyone create software with words. Is this the end of traditional programming jobs?
OpenAI at $730 Billion: Record Valuation, Explosive Growth, and the High-Stakes Road to IPO in 2026
Overview
In March 2026, OpenAI cemented its dominance in the AI industry by securing a record $110 billion funding round, which pushed its valuation to $730 billion. This massive capital injection is essential for supporting OpenAI’s ambitious infrastructure expansion, especially its large-scale data-center projects. CEO Sam Altman initially estimated the company would spend up to $1 trillion, but this projection was later revised to $600 billion by 2030. These financial milestones highlight OpenAI’s rapid growth and the immense resources required to maintain its leadership in the fast-evolving artificial intelligence landscape.