OpenAI Forecasts $278 Billion Cash Burn Through 2030, FT Reports

OpenAI expects to burn through $278 billion between 2026 and 2030 as it expands its computing capacity, according to the Financial Times, citing a company presentation. Reuters reported the figures on 18 September.

The projections put annual revenue at $36 billion in 2026 and $350 billion in 2030. Spending on computing power and infrastructure is forecast to total about $856 billion by the end of 2030. That investment would secure capacity to train and run its AI models.

The distinction matters: cash burn is not the same as an accounting loss. These are forecasts of future cash needs, not money the company has already spent.

For investors, the report raises a central question about the AI boom: how quickly can growing demand generate enough cash to support the infrastructure behind it? Rapid sales growth alone does not settle that question.

Reuters said it could not immediately reach OpenAI for comment outside regular business hours. The projections come from a reported company presentation, rather than a public earnings release.

Source: Reuters, 18 September 2026, citing the Financial Times.

Cover: OpenAI’s offices at 1515 Third Street, San Francisco, photographed on 15 June 2025. Coolcaesar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Cropped for layout.