OpenAI Projects $278 Billion Cash Burn by 2030

OpenAI projects $278 billion in negative free cash flow from 2026 through 2030, according to an internal presentation reviewed by the Financial Times. Computing and infrastructure spending is projected at about $856 billion over the period. Revenue is forecast to rise from $36 billion in 2026 to $350 billion in 2030, with cumulative revenue of about $840 billion. OpenAI raised $122 billion in March; that funding could be exhausted by 2028 under the projected spending. The burn figure is lower than a May projection of about $305 billion, after annualized revenue rose about 20% in July following new model launches. OpenAI is in early discussions for a new funding round at a valuation around $1.2 trillion or higher. One person close to the company put the current valuation at $852 billion. The company confidentially filed for an IPO in June and later delayed those plans. Nvidia, Oracle and SoftBank-backed data center businesses have large agreements tied to OpenAI demand. No contested claims found.