> It might be the case that real revenue is worse than hypothetical revenue.
Because Altman is eying IPO, and controlling the valuation narrative.
It's a bit like keeping rents high and apartments empty to build average rents while hiding the vacancy rate to project a good multiple (and avoid rent control from user-facing businesses).
They'll never earn or borrow enough for their current spend; it has to come from equity sales.
This does not happen, if you forgo one month of rent you have to have kept prices up significantly to make up for the loss. The only reason this could happen is if your loan terms are pegged to rent roll (usually only on commercial properties).
an example: $5000/mo apartment generates $60,000 a year; forgoing one month of rent means you have to now generate $60,000 of revenue in 11 months, which in a bad market will likely not rent for $5450 if it didn't rent for $5000. Your mortgage still continues to pile up along with insurance and taxes, so you can't escape the hole.
> It's a bit like keeping rents high and apartments empty to build average rents
with very particular exceptions at the high end (like those 8-figure $ apartments by Central Park that are little more than international money laundering schemes) this doesn't really happen irl