https://www.forbes.com/sites/phoebeliu/2026/03/31/openai-graveyard-deals-and-products-havent-happened-openai/ [ ] Sign Up For NewslettersGamesShare a News Tip * Featured [ ] Featured + Breaking News + White House Watch + Daily Cover Stories + A Money Windfall Guide For Millennials And Gen X + The Toughest Problems Are Never Solved Alone | Paid Program + How Chief Marketing Officers Are Scaling AI At Speed -- While Preserving Brand Trust + New Era, New Icons: The Creators Redefining High-Quality Storytelling on TikTok | Paid Program + 2026 America's Top Women Wealth Advisors List + 2026 Top Women Wealth Advisors Best in State List + Best-In-State Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors 2025 + AI's Nuanced Impact And A Quest To Quantify It + Embracing And Bracing For AI + Facing A Volatile Market, C-Suites Look To The CFO For Strategic Guidance + By The Numbers: Meet The Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Class Of 2025 + Next Billion-Dollar Startups 2025 + America's Most Powerful Women In Sports + CMO Unscripted: Vulnerability Is The New Superpower For Leaders In The AI Era + Rocky Mountaineer Connoisseur: Unwind And Behold + Cle de Peau Beaute BrandVoice: She's Shown 80,000 Girls & Non-Binary People They Belong In STEAM | Paid Program + Nvidia GTC 2026 And The Ambitious Path to $1 Trillion In AI Revenue * Billionaires [ ] Billionaires See All + World's Billionaires + Forbes 400 + America's Richest Self-Made Women + China's Richest + India's Richest + Indonesia's Richest + Korea's Richest + Thailand's Richest + Japan's Richest + Australia's Richest + Taiwan's Richest + Singapore's Richest + Philippines' Richest + Hong Kong's Richest + Malaysia's Richest + Money & Politics * Innovation [ ] Innovation See All + AI-Powered Cybersecurity + Employee and Customer Experience + Enterprise AI o How AI Hungry Companies Can Use PCs To Supercharge Workforce Intelligence + AI + Agentic AI + Big Data + Cloud + Cloud 100 + Consumer Tech + Creator Economy o New Era, New Icons: The Creators Redefining High-Quality Storytelling On TikTok + Cybersecurity + Digital Transformation + Enterprise Tech + Future Of Work + Gaming + Healthcare + Innovation Rules + Retail Industry + Science + Social Media + Sustainability & Climate + Transportation + Venture Capital + Technology + TikTok BrandVoice | Paid Program + Metronome BrandVoice | Paid Program * Leadership [ ] Leadership See All + Under 30 + C-Suite o CEO Network o CFO Network o CHRO Network o CIO Network o CMO Network o Leadership Strategies + Careers + Education + Forbes EQ | Paid Program + ForbesBLK + Forbes Research + ForbesWomen + Dell Technologies BrandVoice | Paid Program * Money [ ] Money See All + ETF Investing Trends + Banking & Insurance + ETFs & Mutual Funds + Fintech + Hedge Funds & Private Equity + Investing + Investor Hub + Markets + Personal Finance + Retirement + Taxes + Top Advisor | SHOOK + Wealth Management * Forbes Digital Assets [ ] Forbes Digital Assets See All + News + Crypto Prices + NFT Prices + Research + Learn o Crypto Basics o BTC o DeFi o Web3 Education o NFTs o Crypto Investments + Events + Crypto Portfolios * Business [ ] Business See All + Aerospace & Defense + Energy + Food & Drink + Hollywood & Entertainment + Law + Manufacturing + Media + Policy + Retail + SportsMoney o 2026 Election + Entertainment Digest + Enterprise Growth * Small Business [ ] Small Business See All + Entrepreneurs + Small Business Strategy + Small Business Taxes * Lifestyle [ ] Lifestyle See All + Luxury Travel + Arts + Boats & Planes + Cars & Bikes + Dining + ForbesLife + Forbes Travel Guide + Spirits + Style & Beauty + Travel + Vices + Watches * Real Estate [ ] Real Estate See All + Commercial Real Estate + Forbes Global Properties + Residential Real Estate * Forbes Vetted [ ] Forbes Vetted See All + Mattress & Sleep o Bed Frames o Mattresses o Mattress Toppers o Pillows o Sheets & Bedding o Sleep Products + Home o Bathroom o Cleaning & Laundry o Decor o Furniture o Heating & Cooling o Hobbies o Home Office o Kitchen & Dining o Outdoor o Pets o Storage & Organization o Tools o Wine & Bar + Fashion o Accessories o Clothing o Eyewear o Footwear o Jewelry o Handbags & Purses o Lingerie & Sleepwear o Outdoor & Fitness Apparel o Outerwear o Watches + Kids & Baby Gear o Baby Gear o Kids Clothes & Accessories o Nursery o Pregnancy & Postpartum o Toys & Books + Gear o Apparel & Accessories o Bikes o Camping & Hiking o Climbing o Fishing & Hunting o Fitness o Golf o Running o Tennis & Racket Sports o Tools & Tech o Training & Recovery o Water Sports o Wellness o Winter Sports + Beauty & Grooming o Haircare o Makeup o Nailcare o Shaving o Skincare o Personal Products o Wellness & Self Care + Tech & Electronics o Audio o Cameras o Computers, Tablets & Accessories o Gaming o Home Office o Online Tools o Smart Home Devices o Smartphones, Smartwatches & Accessories o Streaming o TVs + Travel o Cruises o Hotels & Lodging o Luggage o Travel Products + Gifts o Father's Day o Holiday o Mother's Day o Valentine's Day o Wedding + Deals o Black Friday o Cyber Monday o Amazon Prime Day o Beauty & Grooming o Big Sales o Fashion o Gear o Home o Tech & Electronics o Travel Deals o Mattress & Sleep * Deals [ ] Deals See All + Fashion o Nordstrom o HOKA o Quince + Electronics o Dell o TopResume + Sportswear & Gear o Dick's Sporting Goods o REI + Mattress & Sleep o Nectar o Saatva o Brooklinen o Avocado o DreamCloud o Helix Sleep o Bear o Leesa o Brooklyn Bedding + Travel o SeatGeek o Vivid Seats + Home & Garden o Frontgate o Wayfair o Chewy o Walmart o West Elm * Lists [ ] Lists See All + 30 Under 30 + 50 Over 50 + Top Colleges * Advisor [ ] Advisor See All + Credit Cards o Best Credit Cards o Travel Credit Cards o 0% APR Credit Cards o Balance Transfer Credit Cards o Business Credit Cards o Best First Credit Card + Mortgages & Loans o Best Mortgage Lenders o Mortgage Refinance Lenders o Personal Loans o Business Loans o Bad Credit Loans o Debt Consolidation Loans o Debt Relief Companies o Student Loans Refinance o Private Student Loans + Banking o Best CD Rates o High Yield Savings Accounts o Money Market Accounts o Checking Accounts o Business Checking Accounts o Budgeting Apps o Best Online Banks + Insurance o Health Insurance Companies o Medicare o Life Insurance Companies o Best Car Insurance Companies o Cheapest Car Insurance Companies o Pet Insurance Companies o Travel Insurance Companies o Homeowners Insurance Companies + Business Services o How to Start a Business o LLC Services o Payroll Services o HR Software o HRIS Systems o PEO Services o Applicant tracking Systems o Domain Registrars o Hosting Services o Website Builders o Ecomm Platforms o Landing Page Builders o VOIP Services o Answering Services o Project Management Software o Task Management Software o Gantt Chart Software o VPNs o Anti Virus Software o Password Managers + Home Services o Moving Companies o Long Distance Moving Companies o Car Shipping Companies o Home Warranty Companies o Solar Companies o Solar Panels o Home Security Companies o Home Security Systems o Internet Providers o Cheapest Internet Providers o Fastest High Speed Internet Providers o Pest Control Companies + Education + Forbes Advisor UK + Forbes Advisor CA + Forbes Advisor AU * Health [ ] Health See All + Mental Health o Best Online Therapy o Online Therapy that Takes Insurance o Online Psychiatrists o Best Online Dating Sites & Apps o Best Senior Dating Sites o Best LGBTQ Dating Sites + CBD o CBD Gummies o CBD Oil o CBD Creams o CBD for Anxiety o CBD for Pain + Supplements o Protein Powder o Preworkout o Collagen Powders o Creatine Supplements o CoQ10 Supplements + Hearing Health o Best Hearing Aids o OTC Hearing Aids o Affordable Hearing Aids + Medical Devices o Best Medical Alert Systems o Best Medical Alert Systems with Fall Detection + Diet & Weight Loss o Best Weight Loss Plans * Newsletters [ ] Newsletters See All + Forbes Daily + Editorial Newsletters * Forbes Games [ ] Forbes Games See All + Frase by Forbes + Pinpoint by LinkedIn + Queens by LinkedIn + Crossclimb by LinkedIn + Mini Crossword by Forbes * More From Forbes [ ] More From Forbes + Forbes Video + Forbes 101 + Forbes Magazine o Forbes Asia o Free Issue of Forbes Today's Highlights Games Frase Frase By Forbes Unscramble The Anagram Pinpoint Pinpoint By LinkedIn Guess The Category See More (c) 2026 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. * Advertise with Forbes * Forbes Licensing & Syndication * Report a Security Issue * Editorial Values and Standards * Site Feedback * Contact Us * Careers at Forbes * Tips * Corrections * Privacy Statement * Your Privacy Choices * Cookie Preferences * Terms of Service * AdChoices * Reprints & Permissions Billionaires sam altman photo Daily Cover The OpenAI Graveyard: All The Deals And Products That Haven't Happened Cody Pickens for Forbes ByPhoebe Liu, Reporter andRashi Shrivastava, Forbes Staff. Follow Authors Apr 01, 2026, 06:30am EDT The AI behemoth's abrupt cancellation of its $1 billion Sora-Disney deal is just one example. As it announces one of the biggest funding rounds in history, OpenAI has trumpeted hundreds of billions in other deals and products that haven't yet become reality. InJanuary, OpenAI's CEO of applications Fidji Simo defended OpenAI's spaghetti-at-the-wall product approach--ads, shopping, health, a social network, browser, physical devices, video generation and an App Store-like marketplace--as variations on the same theme. "AI is going to transform everything," Simo told Forbes at the time. "And so we don't really think of these as completely separate bets." But just two months later, OpenAI reversed course on its flashiest initiative yet: its once-viral, beloved-by-some Sora video model and app, and a "landmark" licensing deal with Disney that was set to include a $1 billion equity investment. The retreat points to a strategic shift toward more financial discipline within the company. Facing pressure to build products that actually make money ahead of a potential upcoming IPO -- and with rival Anthropic gaining steam -- OpenAI has been shedding so-called "side quests" left and right. With $13 billion in 2025 revenue but still deeply unprofitable, the company is now refocusing on areas where demand is already proven: coding and enterprise productivity tools. Every startup pivots if things aren't working. "We will make some good decisions and some missteps, but we will take feedback and try to fix the missteps very quickly," CEO Sam Altman wrote in a blog post about Sora in October. But OpenAI's reversals have felt like whiplash. And with many other projects and deals announced but not yet realized -- like an AI hardware product designed by famed Apple designer Jony Ive, whose company OpenAI acquired for more than $6 billion in (mostly unvested) stock, or a secretive social network based on people's biometrics -- it's not clear which of Altman's many promises will turn into reality. Here are all the products and deals that OpenAI announced which haven't lived up to the hype, whether it's because they're dead, delayed or still to be determined. Products: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sora and Disney Sora briefly rose to the top of App Store leaderboards after its 2025 release. Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images In December, OpenAI announced what it called a "landmark" deal with Disney where the media giant agreed to invest $1 billion and license 200 of its iconic characters for use in the AI startup's video generation app Sora. In return Disney would stream Sora-generated videos on Disney+ and build new applications using OpenAI's models. At the time, Altman lauded Sora as key to the future of human-computer interaction, calling it the "ChatGPT for creativity" moment. Disney's then-CEO Bob Iger (he stepped down in mid-March) was sold on Sora, too. He lauded Altman's ability to "look around corners" and his "respecting the value" of intellectual property. "I believed in it as an investment," Iger told Forbes in February. In March, OpenAI announced it was shuttering the product and scrapping the deal. Adoption of Sora, which was guzzling compute and burning an estimated $15 million a day at its peak, had fallen off a cliff. Sensor Tower and Appfigures both estimated that Sora's lifetime in-app revenue amounted to less than $3 million. OpenAI will also discontinue Sora's associated AI models. "As the nascent AI field advances rapidly, we respect OpenAI's decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere," Disney spokesperson Mike Long told Forbes. NSFW mode in ChatGPT Altman first proposed the idea of allowing verified adult users to have sexual conversations with ChatGPT in October. After facing intense pushback from internal staff as well as investors, the plans have been put on hold "indefinitely," the Financial Times reported in March. The company had previously delayed the launch due to technical issues that come with training an AI model that forays into erotica without creating illegal content, like child sexual abuse material. OpenAI confirmed the report and said it wants to do long-term research on the effects of sexually explicit chats on users before making a decision. Instant Checkout for Shopping In October, Walmart and OpenAI announced a deal that would allow customers to shop for 200,000 Walmart products directly within ChatGPT through a feature called Instant Checkout. But it turns out people aren't so keen on chatbot shopping. Sales through ChatGPT were disappointing, a senior Walmart executive told Wired, and Walmart said that conversion rates -- percentage of shoppers that actually buy products shown within ChatGPT -- were three times lower than those that require a user to click out to Walmart's website. Other retailers like Shopify and Etsy also made products available for people to buy within ChatGPT, but only limited items were available for Instant Checkout, and descriptions weren't always up-to-date and accurate. In early March, OpenAI pulled the plug, discontinuing the Instant Checkout feature. Instead, shoppers can now browse and buy products from dedicated apps within ChatGPT, including from Walmart's own chatbot Sparky. OpenAI said it wants to focus on helping people browse and search for products and give sellers control over checkout. "We've found that the initial version of Instant Checkout did not offer the level of flexibility that we aspire to provide," the company said in a blog post. GPT-4o In February, OpenAI officially sunsetted its wildly popular GPT-4o model. Known for its warm, giddy, playful personality, 4o was also problematically "overly sycophantic" and excessively agreeable. OpenAI temporarily brought it back shortly after first killing it in August in response to backlash from people who had grown attached to the model and were enraged that it was being discontinued. "BRING BACK 4o," one Reddit user wrote. "GPT-5 is wearing the skin of my dead friend." --------------------------------------------------------------------- Have a tip about any of OpenAI's deals or planned products? Contact Phoebe Liu at pliu@forbes.com and phoebe.789 on Signal or Rashi Shrivastava at rshrivastava@forbes.com and rashis.17 on Signal. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Deals: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Stargate Altman at the White House announcing the Stargate initiative with three fellow billionaires: President Trump, SoftBank's Masayoshi Son and Oracle's Larry Ellison. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images On the first full day of President Trump's second term, OpenAI announced the $500 billion Project Stargate in partnership with Oracle and SoftBank to build AI data centers across the country. The high-profile announcement took place at the White House, where Altman was flanked by tech billionaires Larry Ellison and Masayoshi Son on one side and Trump on the other. A year later the joint venture reportedly stalled as it failed to hire employees and actively build data centers for OpenAI, largely due to disagreements between the partners over the project's structure, control and responsibilities, The Information reported. After the fallout, OpenAI tried to take on portions of the infrastructure buildout itself, a plan it later shelved due to struggles securing financing and clashes with partners. OpenAI declined to comment on the report. OpenAI and Oracle also decided not to expand the project's inaugural 1,000 acre data center campus in Abilene, Texas (owned and developed by data center builder Crusoe) after negotiations broke down over financing and OpenAI's evolving compute needs, Bloomberg reported. Oracle posted on X that it has "completed leasing" for the additional 4.5 gigawatts of AI capacity from its original commitment to OpenAI, and Crusoe told Forbes that the planned 1.2 gigawatt facility is on time and on schedule. Nvidia In September, both companies touted a headline-grabbing promise that Nvidia "intends" to invest up to $100 billion into OpenAI. The agreement had no timeline attached to it, and now it seems like OpenAI may only ever see $30 billion of it if OpenAI goes public soon, per comments from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in March. Nvidia's latest annual report, filed at the end of February, provided even more of a hedge: "There is no assurance that we will enter into an investment and partnership agreement with OpenAI or that a transaction will be completed." When OpenAI announced its massive $110 billion funding round (later expanded to $122 billion) in February, it included a $30 billion cash commitment from Nvidia. But it's not clear whether that investment is happening all at once or in batches. Regardless, the investment -- the first tranche of which appears to have been paid on March 31 -- is Nvidia's biggest equity investment to date. The chip giant spent approximately $17.5 billion on investments in private companies (not including the Groq deal) in all of last year. According to Nvidia's initial funding announcement, any investment in OpenAI would help the company build 10 gigawatts of AI data centers that use Nvidia GPUs. Right now, $30 billion would pay for approximately one gigawatt worth of them. OpenAI is projected to spend more than $1 trillion on compute (mostly for buying GPUs) over the next eight years; at that scale, Nvidia's big check amounts to nothing but a big GPU-buying subsidy from a company with 75% gross margins. Nvidia and OpenAI didn't respond to a request for comment on the deal. The setup is similar to Nvidia's other deals with AI firms -- notably CoreWeave, Nebius and Nscale -- who are also its customers. In essence, Nvidia is doling out cash knowing it'll be used to buy its own products. AMD A month after announcing a potential $100 billion deal with Nvidia, OpenAI unveiled a parallel agreement with Nvidia's arch-rival, AMD. The deal was marketed as 160 million of AMD shares, or about 10% of the company, in exchange for OpenAI outfitting six gigawatts' worth of data center capacity with AMD chips. The shares are currently worth around $30 billion, but they don't start to vest until one gigawatt of data center capacity is online and working. On top of that, vesting depends on AMD's share price reaching certain unspecified targets and vague "technical and commercial milestones" for OpenAI. As of the end of 2025, none of the AMD shares had vested, though nothing's behind schedule yet; the AMD chips are slated to start arriving in the second half of this year. If the deal is completed, AMD expects it'll generate "tens of billions" in revenue. If the AMD chips and data centers don't scale, nobody gets paid. Richard Nieva and Anna Tong contributed reporting. More from Forbes ForbesSam Altman Explains Our AI FutureBy Richard NievaForbesWhy Sam Altman Won't Be On The Hook For OpenAI's Massive Spending SpreeBy Rashi ShrivastavaForbesOpenAI Could Be Blowing As Much As $15 Million Per Day On Silly Sora VideosBy Phoebe Liu Got a tip? Share confidential information with Forbes. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions (c) 2026 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. * AdChoices * Privacy Statement * Your Privacy Choices * Cookie Preferences * Digital Terms of Sale * Terms of Service * Contact Us * Send Us Feedback * Report a Security Issue * Jobs At Forbes * Reprints & Permissions * Forbes Press Room * Advertise