• OpenAI has projected that at least 8.5% of its 2.6 million weekly active users in 2030 would be paid subscribers, according to a report in The Information.
• HSBC analysts model that the AI company would have about $129 billion in revenue and $620 billion in expenses from renting data centers in 2030.
• Aggressive investments by tech giants, including OpenAI, and the sky-high valuations of these companies have raised concerns of an 'AI bubble' forming in the market.  

OpenAI would have at least 220 paid users for its ChatGPT chatbot, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source. That's 8.5% of ChaGPT's projected weekly active user base of 2.6 billion, according to the report.

What's The Status Right Now?

At the moment, 35 million, or 5% of ChatGPT's base of weekly active users, have subscribed for a paid plan, according to the report. OpenAI offers monthly plans ranging from $5 to $200.

OpenAI's revenue and expenditure figures – which signal an aggressive posture – have become a key focus in investment and tech circles amid concerns about AI investments and the frothy valuations of Big Tech companies.

OpenAI expects to make $20 billion in revenue this year, and“grow to hundreds of billions” annually by 2030, Sam Altman said earlier this month. However, its eye-popping investment plan has raised eyebrows. The company has pledged to spend $1.4 trillion over the next eight years, mainly on cloud computing contracts and new data centers. 

Projected Revenue vs Expenses

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that analysts at HSBC have modelled OpenAI's data centre rental bill at about $620 billion in 2030, significantly higher than its projected 2030 revenue of $129 billion. Of the top line, $87 billion is estimated to come from search and $24 billion from advertising, according to HSBC.

The analysts also estimate that OpenAI's consumer market share to slip to 56% by 2030, from around 71% this year.

AI War Heats Up Again With Gemini 3

Notably, Amazon-backed Anthopic, Elon Musk's xAI, and tech stalwart Alphabet have been making significant strides in AI with new models and higher investment commitments. Even China's Alibaba has pushed the pedal recently and plans to roll out its ChatGPT-like Qwen app globally.

Google's recently launched Gemini 3 AI model greatly impressed users and tech executives alike, with some calling it benchmark-defining tech.

According to The Information, OpenAI expects to generate about 20% of its revenue from new products, such as shopping- and advertising-driven features. 

OpenAI's consumer market share slips to 56 per cent by 2030, from around 71 per cent this year. Anthropic and xAI are both given market shares in the single digits, a mystery“others” is assigned 22%, and Google is excluded entirely.

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