OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar Says Compute Hit 1.9 GW in 2025 - DTH

OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar announced on Monday, January 19, 2026, that the company’s annual revenue tripled to $20 billion in 2025, fueled by a massive capital investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure that reached 1.9 gigawatts of compute power. As the company diversifies its operational partners beyond Microsoft, other major technology players, including ASUS and Amazon, are executing significant strategic pivots in hardware production and supply chain logistics, respectively.

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI Financials: Revenue hit $20 billion in 2025 with 1.9 GW of compute capacity; the company is exploring new audio features potentially titled "Sonata."
• ASUS Mobile Strategy: The hardware giant is pausing new mobile phone production, placing the Zenfone and ROG lines under indefinite observation.
• Amazon Fulfillment: Commingling of inventory will end on March 31, introducing stricter barcode requirements for resellers.
• Xbox Expansion: Microsoft is testing ad-supported cloud gaming to penetrate markets in Asia, Africa, and India.

OpenAI’s Aggressive Scaling and New Frontiers

In a disclosure highlighting the sheer scale of the generative AI economy, CFO Sarah Friar defended OpenAI’s compute-heavy investment strategy. The company reported 3x year-over-year growth in AI infrastructure, aligning with a tripling of revenue to $20 billion. This financial milestone is supported by diversified income streams, including ChatGPT subscriptions, ad-supported free tiers, and enterprise developer APIs.

Friar noted that OpenAI has shifted its infrastructure strategy, moving from an exclusive reliance on Microsoft to engaging multiple providers to ensure better scaling and efficiency. Concurrently, technical observers have uncovered evidence of future product expansions. New hostnames referencing "Sonata"—specifically sonata.openai.com and sonata.api.openai.com—suggest the imminent release of music or advanced audio generation capabilities. This follows recent upgrades to ChatGPT’s recall and dictation functions.

"Revenue tripled to $20 billion in 2025 alongside 3x year-over-year growth in AI infrastructure, reaching 1.9 gigawatts of compute."

Strategic Shifts in Hardware and E-Commerce

While the AI sector expands, legacy hardware segments are contracting. ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih informed Taiwan’s Inside that the company is pausing mobile phone production. This move effectively halts the development of new Zenfone and ROG Phone models, shifting the division into "indefinite observation." While ASUS has not officially confirmed a total market exit, the 2025 Zenfone 12 Ultra and ROG Phone FE appear to be the final iterations for the foreseeable future, though support for existing devices will continue.

In the e-commerce sector, Amazon is overhauling its fulfillment network protocols. Effective March 31, the platform will end inventory commingling. Under the new rules:

• Brand Owners: Those with a representative role in the Brand Registry can continue using manufacturer barcodes.
• Resellers: Sellers must apply distinct Amazon barcodes to products, even if they possess valid UPCs.
• Unlabeled Items: Products without manufacturer barcodes will require Amazon labels regardless of seller status.

Amazon states that this logistical shift is possible because sellers are maintaining inventory closer to end customers, allowing the company to sustain fast delivery speeds without the complexities of commingled stock.

Regulatory Pressures and Digital Services

Legal and internal governance issues are affecting other major entities. The open-source shadow library Anna’s Archive has suffered a significant legal setback. A federal court in Ohio issued a permanent injunction against the site's operators for scraping OCLC’s WorldCat database. The order bars third-party intermediaries from facilitating the distribution of this data, a move expected to pressure domain and hosting providers to sever ties with the platform.

Simultaneously, internal friction has surfaced at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Acting leader Madhu Gummakonda attempted to reassign Chief Information Officer Robert Costello, widely regarded as a top technical leader. However, senior Department of Homeland Security appointees intervened to halt the move, highlighting internal rifts regarding agency leadership.

On the consumer front, Microsoft is reportedly preparing to launch ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming. Early messaging suggests a model offering one hour of play per session in exchange for viewing advertisements. This strategy aims to utilize excess Azure compute capacity while lowering the barrier to entry for gamers in regions with high hardware costs, such as India and Africa.

As the first quarter of 2026 progresses, industry analysts will be closely monitoring the rollout of OpenAI's "Sonata" features and the downstream effects of Amazon's new inventory strictures on third-party sellers.