Better Offline

Exclusive: Here's How Much OpenAI Spends On Inference And Its MSFT Revenue Share

In a Better Offline exclusive, Ed Zitron reveals how much OpenAI spent on inference in 2024 and 2025, as well as how much it paid Microsoft as part of its 20% revenue share. Inference costs are much higher - and implied revenues much lower - than previously reported. (Free) Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/ [https://www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/] The Information - OpenAI’s First Half Results: $4.3 Billion in Sales, $2.5 Billion Cash Burn - https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openais-first-half-results-4-3-billion-sales-2-5-billion-cash-burn?rc=kz8jh3 [https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openais-first-half-results-4-3-billion-sales-2-5-billion-cash-burn?rc=kz8jh3]  The Information (reference to $6bn inference spend) - http://theinformation.com/articles/openai-forecasts-revenue-topping-125-billion-2029-agents-new-products-gain?rc=kz8jh3 [http://theinformation.com/articles/openai-forecasts-revenue-topping-125-billion-2029-agents-new-products-gain?rc=kz8jh3] Want to support me? Get $10 off a year’s subscription to my premium newsletter: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg [https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg] it would mean a lot! YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline [https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline] and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks [https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks] Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ [https://www.wheresyoured.at/] Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/]  Discord: chat.wheresyoured.at [https://discord.com/invite/QUUQUP9szv] Ed's Socials: https://twitter.com/edzitron [https://twitter.com/edzitron] https://www.instagram.com/edzitron [https://www.instagram.com/edzitron] https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com [https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com] https://www.threads.net/@edzitron [https://www.threads.net/@edzitron] Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com [ez@betteroffline.com] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Cory Doctorow and Ed Zitron on Enshittification and the Rot Economy

This week’s Better Offline is a recording of a panel held by Clarion West in Seattle earlier this year with Cory Doctorow and Ed Zitron, discussing enshittification, The Rot Economy, and the destruction of modern tech platforms, moderated by Whitney Beltrán. Cory Doctorow: https://craphound.com/ [https://craphound.com/] Whitney Beltrán: https://brightwhitney.com/ [https://brightwhitney.com/] Get involved with Clarion West: https://www.clarionwest.org/get-involved/give/ [https://www.clarionwest.org/get-involved/give/] Clarion West is a nonprofit literary organization that runs an acclaimed six-week residential workshop every summer, online classes and workshops, one-day and weekend workshops, a reading series every summer, and other events throughout the year. At Clarion West, you’ll be among award-winning and best-selling writers in science fiction, fantasy, games, horror, and more. Our workshops and classes are taught by world-class instructors from across the field of speculative fiction. Wherever you may be in your career, whether novice or sage, we offer a diverse listing of classes that is packed with valuable information to take your writing to the next level. Want to support me? Get $10 off a year’s subscription to my premium newsletter: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg [https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg] it would mean a lot! YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline [https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline] and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks [https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks] Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ [https://www.wheresyoured.at/] Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/]  Discord: chat.wheresyoured.at [https://discord.com/invite/QUUQUP9szv] Ed's Socials: https://twitter.com/edzitron [https://twitter.com/edzitron] https://www.instagram.com/edzitron [https://www.instagram.com/edzitron] https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com [https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com] https://www.threads.net/@edzitron [https://www.threads.net/@edzitron] Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com [ez@betteroffline.com] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Monologue: AI's Desperation Era

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron talks about OpenAI hinting they’d want a federal backstop for data center loans, NVIDIA’s weird, desperate post about China, and his deep suspicion about OpenAI’s leaked numbers. Want to support me? Get $10 off a year’s subscription to my premium newsletter: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg [https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg] It would mean a lot! WSJ: OpenAI Made a $12 Billion Loss Last Quarter, Microsoft Results Indicate https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-10-31-2025/card/openai-made-a-12-billion-loss-last-quarter-microsoft-results-indicate-e71BLjJA0e2XBthQZA5X [https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-10-31-2025/card/openai-made-a-12-billion-loss-last-quarter-microsoft-results-indicate-e71BLjJA0e2XBthQZA5X] The Register: Microsoft seemingly just revealed that OpenAI lost $11.5B last quarter https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/29/microsoft_earnings_q1_26_openai_loss/ [https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/29/microsoft_earnings_q1_26_openai_loss/] YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline [https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline] and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks [https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks] Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ [https://www.wheresyoured.at/] Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/]  Discord: chat.wheresyoured.at [https://discord.com/invite/QUUQUP9szv] Ed's Socials: https://twitter.com/edzitron [https://twitter.com/edzitron] https://www.instagram.com/edzitron [https://www.instagram.com/edzitron] https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com [https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com] https://www.threads.net/@edzitron [https://www.threads.net/@edzitron] Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com [ez@betteroffline.com] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Vibe Coding is BS w/ Charlie Meyer

Welcome to Radio Better Offline, a tech talk radio show recorded out of iHeartRadio's studio in New York City. Ed is joined in-studio by founder and writer Charlie Meyer to talk about the BS of vibe coding, why the valley went so crazy about scaling laws, and the realities of AI coding. https://blog.charliemeyer.co/ [https://blog.charliemeyer.co/] https://csmeyer.substack.com/ [https://csmeyer.substack.com/] Code Doesn’t Happen To You - https://csmeyer.substack.com/p/code-doesnt-happen-to-you [https://csmeyer.substack.com/p/code-doesnt-happen-to-you] The Trillion Dollar Chart (scaling laws piece) - https://blog.charliemeyer.co/the-trillion-dollar-chart/ [https://blog.charliemeyer.co/the-trillion-dollar-chart/] Replit’s Existential Problem - https://blog.charliemeyer.co/replits-existential-problem/ [https://blog.charliemeyer.co/replits-existential-problem/] Want to support me? Get $10 off a year’s subscription to my premium newsletter: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg [https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg] it would mean a lot! YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline [https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline] and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks [https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks] Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ [https://www.wheresyoured.at/] Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/]  Discord: chat.wheresyoured.at [https://discord.com/invite/QUUQUP9szv] Ed's Socials: https://twitter.com/edzitron [https://twitter.com/edzitron] https://www.instagram.com/edzitron [https://www.instagram.com/edzitron] https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com [https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com] https://www.threads.net/@edzitron [https://www.threads.net/@edzitron] Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com [ez@betteroffline.com] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Monologue: Dealing With The Weight Of History

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron takes a moment to discuss the current state of the bubble, and the way we’re all feeling at this time in history. Want to support me? Get $10 off a year’s subscription to my premium newsletter: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg [https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/w08jbm4jwg] it would mean a lot! The Register: Microsoft seemingly just revealed that OpenAI lost $11.5B last quarter https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/29/microsoft_earnings_q1_26_openai_loss/ [https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/29/microsoft_earnings_q1_26_openai_loss/] YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline [https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline] and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks [https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks] Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ [https://www.wheresyoured.at/] Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/]  Discord: chat.wheresyoured.at [https://discord.com/invite/QUUQUP9szv] Ed's Socials: https://twitter.com/edzitron [https://twitter.com/edzitron] https://www.instagram.com/edzitron [https://www.instagram.com/edzitron] https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com [https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com] https://www.threads.net/@edzitron [https://www.threads.net/@edzitron] Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com [ez@betteroffline.com] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.