OpenAI said ChatGPT Ads reached a $1 billion annualized run rate on Aug. 31, 2026.
Why it matters: The figure offers a clearer look at how quickly OpenAI's ad business is scaling. It also signals how the company is broadening access to a new revenue stream across more markets and advertisers.
- OpenAI said ChatGPT Ads hit a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate on Aug. 31, 2026.
- The company said the milestone came in less than 200 days after launch.
- OpenAI said the product is used by tens of thousands of advertisers and is available in more than 40 countries.
- Self-serve access through Ads Manager is expanding to India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
OpenAI said its ChatGPT Ads business reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate on Aug. 31, 2026, according to its announcement on Sunday. The company said the figure reflects the pace of the ad business, not booked sales, and it comes as OpenAI broadens the product to more advertisers and regions. OpenAI's announcement
OpenAI said the ad pilot began in the U.S. on Feb. 9, 2026, for logged-in adult users on Free and Go plans. It said the pilot did not include Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Education tiers. The company later said it is expanding self-serve access through Ads Manager to India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. OpenAI's ad pilot details
Reuters reported that OpenAI has been testing ads in ChatGPT in the U.S. and expanding into more markets. The news service also cited eMarketer analyst Nate Elliott, who said the run rate is below OpenAI's $2.5 billion ad revenue target for 2026. Reuters
OpenAI has described advertising as one part of a wider revenue mix that also includes consumer subscriptions, enterprise products and usage-based APIs. In an Aug. 13 announcement, the company said its products had more than one billion weekly active users and more than two million businesses, and it named Dali Rajic as chief revenue officer. OpenAI's revenue leadership announcement
OpenAI said ChatGPT Ads is now available in more than 40 countries and used by tens of thousands of advertisers. The company did not say how much cash the ad product has generated or how the run rate compares with booked revenue. OpenAI's announcement
By the numbers
- 1 billion - OpenAI's stated annualized revenue run rate for ChatGPT Ads.
- Less than 200 days - Time OpenAI said it took the ad business to reach the milestone after launch.
- More than 40 countries - Where OpenAI said ChatGPT Ads is now available.
Yes, but: An annualized run rate is an extrapolation, not the same as booked revenue or cash received.