'The math doesn't work': Why your $200 AI subscription is secretly worth thousands

A $200 ChatGPT subscription could cost OpenAI $14,000 if you actually used it to its full potential

ChatGPT Pro's $200/month costs $14,000 if fully used; unprofitable above 11.4% utilization with agentic tasks consuming 1,000x tokens. Enterprises adopt tiered routing—cheap models for routine work, premium for complex tasks—saving 95% and dismantling flat-fee subscription economics.