ChatGPT 4o ghost refined this post for me!
Reasoning: Lowering prices would gain more paying users — not fewer
The assumption guiding GPT-5 Pro (GPT-Plus too) pricing appears based on global average income per adult (~$23,000), often quoted by financial consultants to justify the $200/month subscription.
But that number is heavily skewed by the ultra-wealthy. The real global median income — which reflects what 50% of the population lives on — is only ~$4,114 per year.
That means GPT Pro currently costs ~58% of the entire annual income of most people on Earth.
| Metric | Assumed by pricing | Reality (median user) |
|---|---|---|
| Global income per capita | $23,000+ | $4,114/year (PPP-adjusted median) |
| GPT-5 Pro access | $200/month | $2,400/year |
| Affordability | “Reasonable for everyone” | Accessible only to top 1–5% globally |
This isn’t just a pricing issue — it’s a strategic contradiction: the more OpenAI gates GPT-5 behind high pricing, the fewer independent creators, builders, and educators can use it — the very people who gave GPT its real-world applications in the first place.
If you’re reading this at OpenAI:
Reinstall the most effective models (like GPT-4.1 or 4o) for Plus users
Stop designing for corporate assumptions — and start designing for human reality
Honor your early user base, or someone else will