OpenAI says it now earns more revenue from business customers than from individual users, marking a major change for the company behind ChatGPT. President Greg Brockman said the growth of workplace AI tools has helped drive this shift and that OpenAI could be ready to go public in 2027.
Speaking on November 4, 2026, at a Wall Street Journal technology conference in Napa, California, Brockman said enterprise sales now account for more than half of OpenAI’s revenue. He did not provide an exact percentage or a complete breakdown of business and consumer sales.
The company has been increasing its efforts to attract businesses that want to use AI for everyday operations. These include software development, data analysis, customer support, document processing, and other tasks that can be improved through automation.
Codex is a key part of OpenAI’s enterprise strategy. The AI coding agent helps development teams inspect software projects, make changes, and check their work. Brockman described a stronger third quarter following the release of new AI models and workplace tools, including GPT-5.6 Sol and ChatGPT Work. The earlier GPT-5.3-Codex release also showed how OpenAI had been expanding its coding tools.
OpenAI also faces strong competition from Anthropic, the company behind Claude. Brockman described a difficult first half of 2026, when Anthropic was ahead in parts of the enterprise AI market. The competition has become even more important as both companies expand their business products and prepare for possible stock market listings. Anthropic’s IPO filing provides another example of how quickly the AI industry is changing.
When asked whether OpenAI could be ready to go public in 2027, Brockman indicated that he believed it could. OpenAI had already submitted draft IPO paperwork in June 2026 as part of its earlier IPO preparations. However, submitting paperwork does not guarantee that a public offering will happen on a particular date, and OpenAI has not announced a confirmed listing schedule.
An initial public offering (IPO) is the first time a company offers its shares to public investors. If OpenAI completes an IPO, it could raise additional money to develop advanced AI models, expand computing infrastructure, and support its products and services. However, the size, structure, and timing of any potential offering remain uncertain.
Business customers may pay for AI services through recurring subscriptions or usage-based charges, creating opportunities for ongoing revenue. However, higher sales do not automatically mean higher profits, especially when advanced AI systems require expensive computing resources. Brockman’s latest comments did not provide enough financial detail to show how profitable OpenAI’s enterprise services have become.
The growing importance of enterprise sales does not mean OpenAI is moving away from everyday ChatGPT users. Consumer products remain an important part of its business, while enterprise services offer additional opportunities to generate revenue from organizations that use AI across multiple departments.
OpenAI’s enterprise research describes companies moving beyond simple AI prompts toward agents that can complete longer, multi-step tasks. This shift helps explain why organizations may spend more on AI services as they integrate the technology into everyday workflows. Businesses are increasingly exploring AI tools that can work across software development, research, operations, and other departments.
A possible 2027 IPO would draw attention to OpenAI’s ability to grow its business while managing the rising costs of developing and operating powerful AI models. Investors would likely examine the company’s revenue growth, computing expenses, competition, and long-term path to profitability. For now, the 2027 timeline remains a possibility rather than a confirmed listing date.
