GPT-5.6 and ChatGPT Work Boost OpenAI's Revenue; Company Catches Up with Anthropic

At a recent working meeting, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar and Chairman Bret Taylor highlighted revenue growth and competition with Anthropic. July annualized revenue surpassed the entire Q2 figure, driven by GPT-5.6, ChatGPT Work, and Codex. OpenAI must justify its $852 billion valuation as it prepares for an IPO. Key competitors include Anthropic, Google, and cheaper Chinese open-weight models like Moonshot AI Kimi K3. OpenAI targets enterprises and developers to fund $600 billion infrastructure investments by 2030, negotiating up to $250 billion in Nvidia support for a data center in Ohio. Anthropic's rapid growth raises sustainability questions; its projected annual revenue of $47 billion exceeds OpenAI's $25 billion. Taylor acknowledged Anthropic's strong start but noted Codex's growth as Claude Code users seek alternatives. Both companies filed IPO applications in June with no further details.