OpenAI hits $25 billion in annual revenue as CancelGPT movement goes mainstream

OpenAI’s $25 billion annualized revenue figure, disclosed in a recent earnings brief, reflects a surge in enterprise contracts that now dwarf consumer subscriptions, according to a report on domain‑b.com. The company said its API and ChatGPT Plus services together generated more than $20 billion from corporate clients, while the remaining $5 billion came from individual users and licensing deals.

The revenue jump coincides with a “CancelGPT” backlash that erupted after OpenAI signed a defense‑department pact allowing ChatGPT to operate on classified military networks, Torbenkopp reports. Critics argue the agreement breaches the firm’s original “beneficial AI” promise and fuels fears of a surveillance‑driven AI infrastructure. Within days, social‑media users began mass‑cancelling Plus subscriptions under the #QuitGPT hashtag, citing moral objections to funding a war‑related AI pipeline.

Anthropic’s refusal to accept Pentagon terms has sharpened the contrast, Torbenkopp notes. CEO Dario Amodei turned down the Pentagon’s offer, warning of mass‑surveillance and autonomous‑weapon risks, even though the decision cost the startup lucrative contracts. OpenAI, by contrast, defended the deal as a national‑security imperative, positioning itself as the only major AI provider with direct access to classified U.S. networks.

Despite the protest wave, OpenAI’s balance sheet shows no immediate churn impact. Internal metrics shared with Torbenkopp indicate that while Plus cancellations rose sharply, enterprise revenue grew at a double‑digit rate, offsetting consumer losses. The company’s next earnings call is expected to address how the defense partnership will affect long‑term growth and public perception.