Sam Altman says OpenAI's top token spender uses 100 billion tokens a month — and they're not even the world leader

During a recent enterprise event, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, unveiled intriguing insights about the token spending habits within the company. While OpenAI employees are known for their substantial token expenditures, it turns out that the highest spender is an external entity, surpassing even the company's own usage. Altman shared that six and a half years ago, OpenAI's leading token user spent around 100,000 tokens monthly, a figure that was once considered significant on a global scale. Fast forward to today, and that monthly average has skyrocketed to an astonishing 100 billion tokens. Despite this remarkable figure, Altman acknowledged that the true leader in token consumption is from outside OpenAI, a revelation he humorously termed a personal "embarrassment." OpenAI has cultivated a culture of token usage, even establishing a leaderboard to track spending among employees. This competitive atmosphere has led to some staggering figures; for instance, Peter Steinberger, the developer behind OpenClaw, reportedly spent $1.3 million in tokens in a single month. Some employees have managed to outdo even the 100 billion tokens benchmark, with one individual reportedly spending 210 billion tokens in just a week. In contrast to OpenAI's expansive token practices, other companies are tightening their belts. Amazon has recently discontinued its token leaderboard, while Uber is implementing spending caps after executives expressed concerns about the sustainability of such high expenses. Altman noted a shift in perspective regarding spending, stating that while costs were not a concern at the beginning of 2026, they have since become a pressing issue as organizations look for ways to maximize efficiency in their spending. As OpenAI continues to innovate and push the boundaries of AI technology, the conversation around cost-effectiveness and value delivery remains at the forefront of the industry’s evolution.