Top News

This start-up founder spent ₹12.3L on OpenAI's Codex in 1-month
01 Jun 2026

Dan Shipper, the Co-founder and CEO of AI-focused start-up Every, has revealed that he spent nearly $13,000 (₹12.3 lakh) on OpenAI's Codex in just one month.

The revelation highlights how much artificial intelligence tools have become an integral part of workplace operations.

Shipper sees this expense as a standard business cost, just like laptops or employee benefits.

AI subscriptions for all employees
Integration

The New York-based company, which operates in media, software and AI consulting, gives AI subscriptions to all its 27 employees.

The company also covers additional usage costs.

Shipper's personal Codex overages last month accounted for the $13,000 bill, one of the highest he could recall.

He said these costs are "way, way, way, way, way, way, way, more" than what they were a year ago.

Codex's role in daily operations
Assistance

Shipper relies heavily on Codex for his everyday work.

The AI system helps him read emails, manage his calendar, suggest meeting times, and draft responses.

While it doesn't send messages on its own, much of the correspondence around his interview with Business Insider was generated by AI.

"All the words are pretty much Codex," he told the publication.

AI seen as operational necessity
Cost perspective

At Every, the AI spending is increasingly seen as an operational necessity rather than an experimental cost.

All workers get entry-level AI subscriptions while technical staff are given access to higher-tier plans.

The company also pays for token overages and doesn't impose strict limits on AI usage, provided spending remains financially sustainable.

Innovative approach to AI integration
AI strategy

Every initially tried giving individual AI agents to employees. But later, it switched to a model where specialized agents assist entire teams. One such agent, Claudie, supports the consulting division by drafting presentations, preparing sales proposals, and tracking client tasks.

Will AI replace jobs?
Job transformation

Shipper believes that AI is more likely to change jobs than replace them altogether.

He said the technology could let more workers transition into managerial and supervisory roles because managing AI systems is cheaper and less risky than managing large teams of people.

However, he also acknowledged that AI still struggles with determining what is truly interesting or valuable, especially in creative fields like writing.