Overview
- Forbes, citing analyst models, pegs Sora’s per‑clip cost near $1.30 for a 10‑second video and estimates roughly $15 million in daily compute spend under specific usage assumptions.
- The estimate models about 11.3 million videos per day from an inferred 4.5 million app users, with OpenAI declining to provide usage data or comment on the calculations.
- OpenAI released Sora broadly for free even as it charges $1 for a 10‑second Sora 2 video and $3 for Sora 2 Pro in some contexts, leaving current monetization unclear.
- Head of Sora Bill Peebles called the economics “completely unsustainable,” and CEO Sam Altman said an ad model could not cover costs, pointing to a potential mix that includes paying power users.
- Windows Central reports Microsoft now holds a 27% stake in OpenAI PBC under a new definitive agreement, underscoring ongoing financial backing.