OpenAI’s ChatGPT advertising business has reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate roughly 200 days after its Feb. 9 U.S. launch, equal to about 2.5% of the company’s $40 billion total annualized revenue, in an Aug. 31 disclosure framed as proof of a new growth pillar ahead of a potential IPO. Ads appear for free users and ChatGPT Go subscribers in more than 40 countries, with Ads Manager opened for direct buying in India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and tens of thousands of advertisers on the platform; some 28-day campaigns delivered a 3x return on ad spend, and one partner tally found more than 80% of ad-driven traffic came from new customers. OpenAI positions ads beside subscriptions, enterprise services and APIs, has told investors it expects $2.5 billion in ad revenue this year and $100 billion by 2030, and plans more markets and formats, even as the European Commission the same day designated ChatGPT a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, requiring stricter transparency within four months.