OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is setting his sights on a technological and financial revolution, Reuters reports, unveiling plans to dramatically scale the company’s AI infrastructure and pursue an initial public offering. Speaking on a livestream Tuesday, Altman outlined goals to develop 30 gigawatts of computing resources for $1.4 trillion and eventually add one gigawatt of compute every week, an astronomical target given current costs.
Altman, who first predicted a new technological revolution for OpenAI when ChatGPT launched in late 2022, has positioned the company at the center of the global AI boom. “OpenAI could soon become the most important company in the history of Silicon Valley,” he told employees, according to former staff cited by Reuters. The company, expected to hit a $20 billion annual revenue run rate by year-end, would need to grow tenfold to support his vision.
The CEO emphasized that AI is a “sport of kings,” and achieving such scale will require creative financing. OpenAI recently reached a deal with Microsoft to remove limits on fundraising, while previously partnering with Nvidia, Oracle, SoftBank, and CoreWeave for infrastructure projects like the $500 billion Stargate initiative, which aims to build 30 GW of data center capacity. Altman has said these plans could create hundreds of thousands of jobs and underpin the company’s ambition to generate hundreds of billions in annual revenue.
Altman’s path has not been without controversy. Former co-founder Elon Musk has sued OpenAI, claiming it has strayed from nonprofit goals, and some ex-employees have raised concerns over prioritizing profit over public safety. Altman was briefly ousted from OpenAI in 2023 before being reinstated.
Despite challenges, Altman is steering OpenAI toward what Reuters describes as a bold IPO strategy, solidifying its role as a transformative force in AI and Silicon Valley. His ambitious plans, Hollywood portrayal pending, underscore the unprecedented scale at which AI is reshaping technology, finance, and global industry.
