On August 31, 2026 (local time), OpenAI announced that the annualized revenue (run rate) of "ChatGPT Ads," its advertising business on the conversational AI "ChatGPT," has reached $1 billion (approximately ¥160 billion). This milestone was achieved in less than 200 days since the service's launch, with the number of advertisers now reaching tens of thousands. The company had previously reported that it began pilot operations in the U.S. in early 2026 and exceeded an annualized revenue of $100 million within six weeks of the April launch.

Starting the same day, advertisers in India, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa can now place ads directly on ChatGPT via the "Ads Manager" tool. The service is available in over 40 countries, including placements through sales teams, agencies, and technical partners. In Japan, pilot operations have been underway since June, with Dentsu Digital and Hakuhodo DY ONE beginning operations as launch partners.

Ads are displayed to users aged 18 and older on the free version and the monthly ¥1,400 "Go" plan; they are not shown to users on higher-tier paid plans such as "Plus" or "Pro." OpenAI explained that the introduction of Ads Manager has resulted in small and medium-sized enterprises accounting for a "significant proportion" of the advertising business. The company stated that the proportion of revenue from advertisers outside the U.S. is increasing, though specific figures were not disclosed.

OpenAI positions advertising as one of the pillars of its business model, alongside consumer subscriptions, enterprise services, and pay-as-you-go APIs. Regarding an IPO, there have been reports that the company privately filed documents in early 2026, as well as reports that it announced an IPO application in the U.S. in June; the listing is expected in 2027 or earlier.

Sources