OpenAI built a massive audience it can’t monetize

By Alan Jacobson, Systems Architect & Analyst

There are two ways to make money online: subscriptions and advertising. ChatGPT is failing at both:

According to Menlo Ventures, 95% of ChatGPT’s users pay nothing.
According to TheInformation, 90% of ChatGPT’s users are outside the US and Canada, according to estimates by market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. But advertisers want American wallets. That’s an issue if OpenAI hopes to build a big advertising business.

So, if OpenAI cannot monetize via subscriptions or advertising, how does ChatGPT make money?

Good question.

OpenAI adoption rate has been flat since Spring 2025
MIT reports that 95% of business fail to integrate AI
Microsoft (OpenAI’s biggest partner) is struggling to get businesses to adopt AI
OpenAI is run by researchers, not business people
Sam Altman says, “Yes, we are in bubble.”
Sam Altman is not CEO material