目前OpenAI的年化营收为500亿美元，这一数值比先前报道的数字少了约200亿美元。出现这种差异的原因在于不同人工智能公司在营收核算方式上的区别。
OpenAI's annualized revenue is $50 billion, about $20 billion less than previously reported figures, a discrepancy related to how different AI companies account for overall sales.
背景信息：据Axios获悉，9月份多家媒体广泛报道的700亿美元这一数字，实际上是OpenAI提供给投资者的数据。该公司这么做是为了能与竞争对手Anthropic的营收数据进行直接对比。
The big picture: The $70 billion figure, widely reported in September by Axios and other media outlets, was based on information shared with investors in an attempt to create a more direct comparison to rival Anthropic, Axios has learned.
Anthropic在计算营收时会把云合作伙伴带来的销售额也计入在内。
Anthropic includes revenue from cloud partner sales in its tally.
细节说明：两家公司都遵循美国通用会计准则，但在合作伙伴销售收入的核算方式上存在差异。据《The Dig》通讯的作者、会计学教授弗朗辛·麦肯纳介绍，如果客户通过云服务商购买了价值100美元的AI服务，按照Anthropic的核算方式，这100美元可全部计入其营收总额，而云服务商获得的分成则被记为支出。而OpenAI仅会记录其在部分合作伙伴销售中所获得的份额。
Zoom in: Both companies are GAAP compliant, but they account for revenue through partner sales differently. If a customer pays $100 for an AI service through a cloud provider, Anthropic's accounting method allows it to record the full $100 as top-line revenue, per Francine McKenna, accounting professor and author of the newsletter The Dig. The cloud provider's cut is then listed as an expense. OpenAI records only its share of certain partner sales.
麦肯纳指出，这种差异的根源在于两家公司对自身在交易中所扮演角色的认知不同，具体体现在谁负责维护客户关系以及谁承担产品交付的责任等方面。
The difference comes down to how each company views its role in the transaction — including who controls the customer relationship and is responsible for delivering the product, according to McKenna.
深层原因：消息人士透露，OpenAI之所以给出700亿美元的年化营收数值，是为了满足投资者需求，按照Anthropic的核算方式对自身营收进行“总额换算”，从而得到一个便于对比的数据。
Between the lines: The $70 billion ARR figure for OpenAI was an attempt to "gross up" its revenue number based on an interest from investors in having an apples-to-apples figure using Anthropic's methodology, sources said.
现实情况：年化营收这一指标是将特定周期内的销售额推算为全年的数值，在硅谷被广泛使用。但在公开市场上，投资者更看重企业的实际营收情况，而非这类更适合初创企业使用的估算指标。另外，该数值计算时并未计入基于股票的薪酬支出。
Reality check: Annualized revenue, when sales from a given period are projected out for a year, is a commonly used figure in Silicon Valley. But in public markets, investors will prefer actual revenue rather than financial constructs that are far more appropriate for early-stage startups. What to ave excluded stock-based compensation.
据《The Information》报道，这一数值公布时，OpenAI尚未敲定一系列预计将耗费数千亿美元的计算资源采购协议。
They also largely preceded an array of computing deals signed by the company that are set to cost hundreds of billions of dollars, according to The Information.
最后需要提醒的是，在相关企业发布财报并附上正式财务文件之前，对于其公布的“盈利”数据也需保持审慎态度。
Beware of claims about "profit" as well, at least until they come with the financial documents typical in an earnings release.