OpenAI CEO Sam Altman vigorously defended his company’s financial position during a November 1 podcast appearance, revealing that the AI giant’s annual revenue runs “significantly higher” than the widely reported $13 billion figure. He also pushed back against concerns about how the company plans to fund infrastructure commitments exceeding $1 trillion.

Speaking alongside Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the Bg2 podcast, Altman showed visible irritation when host Brad Gerstner questioned OpenAI’s ability to handle such massive spending obligations relative to its current revenue base. “First of all, our revenue is way more than that,” Altman shot back. “Second, Brad, if you want to sell your shares, I will find you a buyer. I’m just — enough.”

CEO Challenges Critics and Signals Aggressive Growth

This exchange highlighted growing scrutiny around OpenAI’s financial sustainability as the company commits roughly $1.4 trillion toward computing infrastructure over the next decade, including $250 billion in Microsoft Azure services alone. Altman’s defensive stance marked a departure from his typically measured public persona, suggesting that persistent speculation about OpenAI’s finances has struck a nerve.

“There aren’t many times I wish we were a public company, but one of the rare moments where it’s appealing is when these people write these ridiculous [posts] ‘OpenAI is about to go bankrupt,'” Altman said. “I would love to tell them they can just short the stock, and I would love to watch them lose money on that.”

When Gerstner later suggested OpenAI could potentially reach $100 billion in revenue by 2028 or 2029, Altman confidently countered: “How about ’27?” This comment suggests OpenAI’s internal projections far exceed external analyst estimates, with the company targeting explosive growth from its current revenue base.

Microsoft Partnership Provides Strategic Backing

Nadella, who laughed throughout much of Altman’s response, expressed strong endorsement of OpenAI’s performance, stating the company has “exceeded” every business plan it provided to Microsoft as an investor. This assessment carries significant weight given Microsoft’s total $13 billion investment in OpenAI, which has now translated into a 27-percent stake valued at approximately $135 billion following OpenAI’s recent corporate restructuring.

Despite the solid partnership, Altman firmly dismissed reports about an imminent initial public offering. “No, no, no, we don’t have anything that concrete,” he said. “I’m a realist, I assume it will happen someday, but I don’t know why people write these reports. We don’t have a targeted date, we don’t have a board decision about it or anything like that.”

However, separate reports indicate OpenAI is laying groundwork for what could become one of the largest IPOs in history, potentially targeting a $1 trillion valuation with a possible public offering as early as late 2026. The company’s recent transformation into a public benefit corporation removed key obstacles to going public while providing greater flexibility for raising capital.