OpenAI’s $200 ChatGPT Pro Subscription Is Losing Money

ChatGPT Pro, OpenAI’s premium $200/month subscription launched late last year, has become so popular that it’s now hurting the company’s bottom line.

Users are consuming more resources than anticipated, pushing operational costs beyond expectations, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted.

“I personally chose the price and thought we would make some money.” — Altman wrote on X, as quoted by TechCrunch.

ChatGPT Pro offers unlimited access to all OpenAI models, including o1 pro, its most advanced reasoning model, along with Advanced Voice Mode for near-human conversations.

By contrast, ChatGPT Plus subscribers face daily usage limits, while free-tier users only get a restricted preview.

Despite strong investor backing—totaling an estimated $20 billion—OpenAI remains unprofitable, projecting a $5 billion loss in 2024 against $3.7 billion in revenue. The company’s massive spending on AI training, infrastructure, and office operations continues to strain its financials.

At peak demand, running ChatGPT reportedly cost OpenAI up to $700,000 per day. As profitability remains elusive, concerns grow over the long-term viability of its business model.