The Burn Rate Hall of Fame

Comparing startup cash consumption at scale

Cumulative Cash Burn or Net Losses
OpenAI 2029
Cash burn projection
$115B
Cash Burn
Uber
Through 2023 profitability
$31.7B
Net Losses
WeWork
Through bankruptcy
$20.7B
Net Losses
Rivian
Cumulative 2022–2024
$16.9B
Net Losses (3 yrs)
Tesla
Through 2019
$10B
Est. FCF Burn
Amazon
Through 2002
$3B
Net Losses
Years to First Annual Profit (GAAP Net Income)
OpenAI
14+
Target: 2029 or later
Tesla
17
Founded 2003 → Profit 2020
Uber
14
Founded 2009 → Profit 2023
Amazon
9
Founded 1994 → Profit 2003
WeWork
—
Bankrupt Nov 2023
OpenAI 2026 Projected Loss
$14B
Nearly 3× the company's expected 2025 loss. For comparison: the Manhattan Project cost about $20B in constant 1996 dollars (Brookings).
Funding Being Sought
$100B
Would be among the largest private capital raises ever attempted, at a potential $830B valuation.
Methodology Note
This chart compares different financial metrics across companies. OpenAI's figure is projected cash burn (negative free cash flow through 2029). Uber, WeWork, Rivian, and Amazon figures are cumulative GAAP net losses through their respective profitability milestones or bankruptcy. Tesla's figure is estimated cumulative negative FCF through 2019. These metrics are not perfectly comparable but illustrate relative scale of capital consumption.
Sources
OpenAI: $115B cumulative cash burn through 2029 per The Information via Reuters (Sept 6, 2025). $14B projected 2026 loss per The Information (Oct 2024). $100B funding round at $830B valuation per Wall Street Journal (Dec 2025).

Uber, WeWork: Cumulative net losses per SEC filings, as summarized in American Affairs Journal (Nov 2024).

Rivian: $16.9B cumulative net losses over 2022–2024 per CMC Markets analysis citing SEC filings.

Tesla: Approximate cumulative negative FCF through 2019 per American Affairs compilation.

Amazon: Peak accumulated deficit of ~$3B at profitability per SEC filings.

Manhattan Project: About $2B nominal, about $20B in constant 1996 dollars per Brookings Institution.