OpenAI Reveals $493.8M Revenue Share to Microsoft in Leaked Documents

Leaked documents have shed light on the financial relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft, revealing significant revenue share payments from the AI startup to its partner. According to leaked documents obtained by tech blogger Ed Zitron, Microsoft received $493.8 million in revenue share payments from OpenAI in 2024. This number jumped to $865.8 million in the first three quarters of 2025, a substantial increase of 75% year-over-year. The revenue share payments are a result of a previous deal where Microsoft invested over $13 billion in OpenAI. As part of this agreement, OpenAI reportedly shares 20% of its revenue with Microsoft. However, the leaked documents also reveal that Microsoft shares a portion of its revenue with OpenAI, specifically 20% of the revenues generated by Bing and Azure OpenAI Service. The latter is a cloud-based service that provides access to OpenAI's models for developers and businesses. The leaked payments refer to Microsoft's net revenue, which means that the figures mentioned above are after Microsoft's own expenses and costs have been deducted. This distinction is crucial in understanding the financial dynamics between the two companies. The market impact of this revelation is significant, as it highlights the growing importance of AI in the tech industry. OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft has been instrumental in the development of the latter's AI-powered search engine, Bing, which has been struggling to gain traction against Google. The revenue share payments also underscore the value that Microsoft places on OpenAI's technology, which is seen as a key driver of growth in the AI space. OpenAI is a privately-held company that has been at the forefront of AI research and development. Founded in 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and others, the company has made significant strides in natural language processing and other areas of AI. Its partnership with Microsoft has been seen as a strategic move to accelerate the development of AI-powered technologies. The future outlook for OpenAI and Microsoft's partnership is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the AI space is becoming increasingly competitive, with multiple players vying for market share. The revenue share payments between OpenAI and Microsoft are a testament to the growing importance of AI in the tech industry, and the need for companies to invest in this area to remain competitive. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how OpenAI and Microsoft's partnership unfolds. Will the revenue share payments continue to grow, or will the companies explore new ways to collaborate? One thing is certain: the future of AI will be shaped by the partnerships and investments made by companies like OpenAI and Microsoft.