Krux
March 24, 2026
OpenAI Slashes Compute Spending Plan by $800 Billion
Published: March 24, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Updated: March 24, 2026 at 12:45 AM
100-word summary
OpenAI just cut its projected compute spending through 2030 from $1.4 trillion to $600 billion, according to CNBC sources. The company is bracing for an IPO that could value it at $1 trillion, and Wall Street wants discipline, not sci-fi capex promises. Last year OpenAI pulled in $13 billion while spending $8 billion, staying under its $9 billion target. The new frugality comes with a catch: inference costs jumped fourfold in 2025, squeezing margins right as the company tries to prove it can run a profitable business. The shift from "build at all costs" to "show us the spreadsheet" marks the moment OpenAI stopped thinking like a research lab and...
What happened
OpenAI just cut its projected compute spending through 2030 from $1.4 trillion to $600 billion, according to CNBC sources. The company is bracing for an IPO that could value it at $1 trillion, and Wall Street wants discipline, not sci-fi capex promises. Last year OpenAI pulled in $13 billion while spending $8 billion, staying under its $9 billion target. The new frugality comes with a catch: inference costs jumped fourfold in 2025, squeezing margins right as the company tries to prove it can run a profitable business.
Why it matters
The shift from "build at all costs" to "show us the spreadsheet" marks the moment OpenAI stopped thinking like a research lab and started thinking like a public company.