---
title: "OpenAI Is Taking the “Crack Cocaine” Approach to Pricing"
slug: "openai-koennte-chatgpt-bald-wie-strom-abrechnen"
date: 2026-06-16
category: tech-pub
tags: [openai]
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/openai-koennte-chatgpt-bald-wie-strom-abrechnen
---

# OpenAI Is Taking the “Crack Cocaine” Approach to Pricing

**Published**: 2026-06-16 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

- Futurism frames OpenAI’s pricing as a hard pivot: broad, cheap ChatGPT access first, then a possible move toward usage-based billing once users rely on the tools.

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## Summary

- Futurism frames OpenAI’s pricing as a hard pivot: broad, cheap ChatGPT access first, then a possible move toward usage-based billing once users rely on the tools.
- The article cites financial figures claiming OpenAI’s net loss rose from $5 billion in 2024 to $39 billion in 2025, while noting that part of the loss may involve accounting effects.
- Sam Altman has suggested AI could be sold like electricity or water, on a meter. That would shift more cost onto power users instead of casual subscribers.
- Futurism points to reports that a fully maxed-out $200 ChatGPT Pro subscription could cost OpenAI as much as $14,000 to serve.

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## Why it matters

Futurism frames OpenAI’s pricing as a hard pivot: broad, cheap ChatGPT access first, then a possible move toward usage-based billing once users rely on the tools.

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## Key Points

- Futurism frames OpenAI’s pricing as a hard pivot: broad, cheap ChatGPT access first, then a possible move toward usage-based billing once users rely on the tools.
- The article cites financial figures claiming OpenAI’s net loss rose from $5 billion in 2024 to $39 billion in 2025, while noting that part of the loss may involve accounting effects.
- Sam Altman has suggested AI could be sold like electricity or water, on a meter. That would shift more cost onto power users instead of casual subscribers.
- Futurism points to reports that a fully maxed-out $200 ChatGPT Pro subscription could cost OpenAI as much as $14,000 to serve.

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## Nauti's Take

The real risk isn't the $20 subscription. It's workflows quietly built on flat-rate economics. If you're wiring agents, Codex runs, or internal tools without cost controls, you're building on a subsidy, not a pricing model.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is OpenAI Is Taking the “Crack Cocaine” Approach to Pricing about?

**A:** - Futurism frames OpenAI’s pricing as a hard pivot: broad, cheap ChatGPT access first, then a possible move toward usage-based billing once users rely on the tools.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** Futurism frames OpenAI’s pricing as a hard pivot: broad, cheap ChatGPT access first, then a possible move toward usage-based billing once users rely on the tools.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** Futurism frames OpenAI’s pricing as a hard pivot: broad, cheap ChatGPT access first, then a possible move toward usage-based billing once users rely on the tools.. The article cites financial figures claiming OpenAI’s net loss rose from $5 billion in 2024 to $39 billion in 2025, while noting that part of the loss may involve accounting effects.. Sam Altman has suggested AI could be sold like electricity or water, on a meter. That would shift more cost onto power users instead of casual subscribers.

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## Related Topics

- [openai](https://news.ainauten.com/en/tag/openai)

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## Sources

- [OpenAI Is Taking the “Crack Cocaine” Approach to Pricing](https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/openai-crack-cocaine-approach-token-pricing) - Futurism

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-06-18*