# OpenAI Says ChatGPT Ads Reached a $1B Annualized Revenue Run Rate

Times of AI Desk · 2026-08-31 · Work

[https://timesof.ai/2026/08/openai-chatgpt-ads-1-billion-run-rate](https://timesof.ai/2026/08/openai-chatgpt-ads-1-billion-run-rate)

> OpenAI reported a $1 billion annualized advertising revenue run rate, tens of thousands of advertisers and availability in over 40 countries. It announced self-service Ads Manager expansion to India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Run rate is not booked full-year revenue.

**OpenAI** said ChatGPT Ads had reached a **$1 billion annualized revenue run rate**, with tens of thousands of advertisers. That extrapolated pace is not $1 billion of booked annual revenue.

The August 31 announcement says ads were available in **over 40 countries** through its sales team and partners. Self-service purchases through **Ads Manager** were scheduled to expand later that day across **India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa**.

OpenAI says Ads Manager opened to small and medium-sized businesses in May and that these businesses now contribute a material share. Its stated rules keep ads labeled and separate from answers, deny advertisers access to private conversations and let users control personalization.

## Limits

- The revenue figure and advertiser count are company-reported, not an independent audit.
- A run rate and a full-year revenue target measure different things; one alone does not establish progress against the other.
- This announcement concerns advertiser access, not a change to consumer subscription tiers.

**Correction (October 14, 2026):** Removed a like-for-like comparison between annualized run rate and an unverified full-year target, along with unsourced quotes and regulatory context.

## Sources

- [OpenAI: advertising milestone and expansion](https://openai.com/index/expanding-access-to-ai-with-chatgpt-ads/)