OpenAI could sell infrastructure services to boost sales: CFO

[OpenAI ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude and Perplexity mobile APP icons on screen. Assorted AI chatbots]
Robert Way

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said on Wednesday that the ChatGPT maker could eventually sell an infrastructure service that would let other companies have access to data centers and other types of physical infrastructure.

The service, which was likened to Amazon (AMZN [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/AMZN]) Web Services, is not something that will happen in the near-future, but could be a longer-term revenue generator for the company.

“I do think about it as a business down the line, for sure,” Friar said in an interview, according to comments obtained by Bloomberg [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-20/openai-may-sell-infrastructure-services-to-other-firms-cfo-says]. “If all we do is buy from others, all we’re doing is giving them our IP because they’re learning how to build AI infrastructure,” she added.

OpenAI has had a number of other partners that have helped, or largely financed, the cost of data centers, such as Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MSFT]) and Oracle (ORCL [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ORCL]), including for the ambitious U.S.-based Stargate Project announced [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4397132-stargate-project-receives-official-announcement-from-trump-opena] earlier this year. OpenAI is also reportedly thinking about expanding [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4442923-openai-mulls-expansion-of-stargate-ai-project-outside-us] Stargate outside the U.S., into Europe and other regions.

Earlier this month, Open CEO Sam Altman said people “should expect OpenAI to spend trillions of dollars” on data centers in the “not very distant future.” Altman also recently said [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4486515-openais-altman-says-ai-bubble-exists-but-its-importance-remains-real-report] that artificial intelligence is in a “bubble” and some investors may be hurt.

In addition to the potential new business line, Friar confirmed that OpenAI had hit $1B in revenue in July, the first time it had done so.

OpenAI is reportedly [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4479426-openai-reportedly-exploring-share-sale-at-500b-valuation] in talks to sell some stock from current and former employees that would value the generative AI startup at $500B.

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