Who Owns ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is owned by OpenAI, an American artificial intelligence company headquartered in San Francisco, California. As of early 2026, ChatGPT has approximately 800 million weekly active users and recorded 5.8 billion monthly visits in 2025. OpenAI generated approximately $4.3 billion in revenue in H1 2025. Major investors include Microsoft, SoftBank ($41 billion), Thrive Capital, and Sequoia Capital. OpenAI is restructuring from its hybrid non-profit/for-profit model to a for-profit public benefit corporation.
Parent Company
OpenAI
Founded
2022
Status
Private
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, USA
Who Owns ChatGPT?
- Parent Company: OpenAI
- Ownership Type: Product line
- Company Type: Privately Held
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | OpenAI | Product line |
History of ChatGPT
- Founded: 2022
- Founders: OpenAI (internal development)
ChatGPT was launched on November 30, 2022, by OpenAI as a conversational AI interface based on the GPT-3.5 language model. The platform was developed as a user-friendly way for people to interact with advanced AI technology without requiring technical expertise.
The launch was immediately successful, with ChatGPT reaching 1 million users within just five days and 100 million users within two months, making it one of the fastest-growing consumer applications in history. The platform's ability to engage in natural conversations, answer questions, and assist with various tasks captured public attention and sparked widespread interest in AI technology.
In March 2023, OpenAI released GPT-4, an advanced language model that powered an enhanced version of ChatGPT with improved reasoning capabilities, broader knowledge, and enhanced safety features. The platform continued to evolve with features including image analysis, web browsing capabilities, and custom instructions.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, ChatGPT expanded with ChatGPT Plus (premium subscription), ChatGPT Enterprise (business version), and integration into various Microsoft products. The platform became the dominant consumer AI application, setting industry standards for conversational AI and generative AI technology.
By 2025, ChatGPT had approximately 800 million weekly active users and recorded 5.8 billion monthly visits. OpenAI generated approximately $4.3 billion in revenue in H1 2025, up approximately 16% year-over-year. OpenAI announced plans to restructure from its hybrid non-profit/for-profit model to a for-profit public benefit corporation.
About OpenAI
Who owns OpenAI?
OpenAI has a complex ownership structure. The company was founded as a non-profit (OpenAI, Inc.) and created a capped-profit subsidiary in 2019. Major investors include Microsoft (approximately $13 billion invested), Thrive Capital, SoftBank, and other venture capital firms. OpenAI is in the process of converting to a public benefit corporation, which would give the non-profit a significant equity stake but remove its control over operations.
Is OpenAI publicly traded?
No, OpenAI is a private company. The company completed a $6.6 billion funding round at a $157 billion valuation in October 2024. There is no current timeline for an IPO, though the planned conversion to a public benefit corporation could eventually facilitate a public offering.
What is OpenAI's annual revenue?
OpenAI reported annualized revenue of approximately $3.7 billion in late 2024, with rapid growth driven by ChatGPT subscriptions and enterprise API usage. The company projected revenue of approximately $11.6 billion for 2025.
Who founded OpenAI?
OpenAI was founded in December 2015 by Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman, among others. Elon Musk resigned from the board in 2018. Sam Altman has served as CEO since the company's founding, with a brief five-day interruption in November 2023 when the board fired and then reinstated him.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is OpenAI's AI chatbot, launched in November 2022. It reached 100 million users in two months, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. ChatGPT has more than 300 million weekly active users as of late 2024 and is available as a free tier and paid subscriptions (Plus at $20/month, Team, and Enterprise).
What is the relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft?
Microsoft has invested approximately $13 billion in OpenAI and is the company's primary cloud and commercial partner. Microsoft integrates OpenAI's models into products including Bing, GitHub Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Azure OpenAI Service. Microsoft has exclusive rights to commercialize OpenAI's technology through Azure. The partnership is central to both companies' AI strategies.
- Founded: 2015
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
- Company Type: Privately Held
Where Is ChatGPT Made / Based?
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
- Manufacturing / Operations: United States, Ireland, Singapore, India
ChatGPT Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Market-leading conversational AI platform with hundreds of millions of users
- +Advanced language model technology backed by cutting-edge AI research
- +Strong brand recognition as the dominant consumer AI application
- +Integration with Microsoft products and enterprise solutions
- +Continuous improvement through regular model updates and feature additions
Considerations
- -Competition from Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Meta AI, and other AI assistants
- -Regulatory scrutiny over AI accuracy, bias, and safety concerns
- -High computing costs and infrastructure requirements for model training
- -Challenges in maintaining accuracy and preventing misinformation
- -Balance between accessibility and advanced features for different user segments
Frequently Asked Questions About ChatGPT
Competitors to ChatGPT
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | USA | 2022 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Apple | USA | 2011 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Amazon | USA | 2014 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Alphabet | USA | 1998 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Alphabet | USA | 2009 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Claude
Owned by Anthropic
Family of artificial intelligence language models developed by Anthropic, known for helpfulness, safety features, and reduced likelihood of generating harmful content.
Siri
Owned by Apple Inc.
Apple's voice assistant and AI-powered intelligent assistant providing voice commands and smart device control across Apple products.
Alexa
Owned by Amazon.com Inc.
Amazon's artificial intelligence voice assistant technology powering smart speakers, devices, and services for voice-activated control and information retrieval.
Owned by Alphabet Inc.
American search engine and technology company, flagship product of Alphabet Inc.
Waymo
Owned by Alphabet Inc.
American autonomous driving technology company developing self-driving car technology, subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: ChatGPT competes with 5 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
Jobs at OpenAI
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