On December 5, 2024, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Pro, a $200 per month plan with access to some of the creme de la creme AI models and tools in the house for users. The expensive subscription also includes OpenAI o1, o1 Pro mode, o1-mini, and GPT-4o, among other services. OpenAI also bestowed 10 grants of the new subscription model to researchers who are working on medical breakthroughs in various fields, including cancer immunotherapy, aging, and dementia. Remarking on the ChatGPT Pro model, Sam Altman took to X/Twitter and posted that the company is not making profit. He also remarked that he tagged the pricing himself for the premium model.
Insane thing: we are currently losing money on the OpenAI pro subscription. People use it much more than we expected.
I personally chose the price and thought we would make some money
insane thing: we are currently losing money on openai pro subscriptions!
people use it much more than we expected.
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 6, 2025
no, i personally chose the price and thought we would make some money
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 6, 2025
The Internet sure did find an angle to take a jibe at Sam Altman. Users commented that it was all “Karma for Suchir Balaji.” The young Indian-origin who denounced OpenAI for unethical practices was earlier found dead in his apartment. He worked at the firm from 2020 till 2024. His parents had alleged that it was a case of murder and not suicide, which even Elon Musk endorsed. “Maybe if you didn’t pull off hit jobs on whistleblowers, you would have been in profit.” one user remarked.
Karma man pic.twitter.com/w3obXyQY44
— Crypto maverick (@trader_ska) January 6, 2025
Well if you didn’t use your money to carry out Hitjobs on whistleblowers, maybe you would be in Profit.
— Dr. Prakhar Singhal (@DoctorPrakhar) January 6, 2025
Meanwhile, Elon Musk continued his self-proclaimed crusade against the Sam Altman-led OpenAI for turning for profit, contrary to how it started when the Tesla boss was one of the co-founders. On X/Twitter, Musk alleged that the ChatGPT-maker company has turned from an open-source non-profit to a closed-source profit maximizer.
OpenAI was funded as an open source, nonprofit, but has become a closed source, profit-maximizer https://t.co/nBxtzluxLi
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 6, 2025
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See Also; Elon Musk Questions OpenAI Researcher Suchir Balaji’s Death, Suggests It May Not Be Suicide
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