OpenAI’s Q1 cash burn hits $3.7 billion as it readies for IPO
18 Jun 2026, 01:58 PMOpenAI's cash and marketable securities increased to more than $73 billion at the end of the quarter from about $40 billion at the end of 2025, boosted by a funding round announced in March.
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OpenAI burned through an estimated $3.7 billion in cash during the first quarter of 2026, even as revenue rose to $5.7 billion, according to a report by The Information citing investor documents.
Both revenue and cash burn of the ChatGPT maker nearly tripled compared with the same period last year, underscoring the massive costs associated with developing and operating advanced artificial intelligence models.
The report said OpenAI's cash and marketable securities increased to more than $73 billion at the end of the quarter from about $40 billion at the end of 2025, boosted by a funding round announced in March.
The figures highlight the scale of investment required to compete in the AI race, as companies continue to spend heavily on computing infrastructure, model development and talent.
OpenAI's growing cash reserves come despite reports that the company recorded a net loss of about $39 billion in 2025.
Earlier this month, the Sam Altman-led AI company confidentially filed paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO), shortly after rival Anthropic also initiated plans to go public.
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