E87: ChatGPT Awards – The Billion-Token Club: How Companies Really Use ChatGPT

Transcript

The numbers are insane: only 141 companies worldwide received these awards.

McKinsey leads with 100 billion processed tokens — equivalent to 75 billion words, or roughly 7 million consulting reports.

PwC follows as the largest ChatGPT Enterprise customer with over 100,000 licenses, and is now the first official OpenAI reseller.

This episode reveals: when the Pentagon, Morgan Stanley, and the Big Four are all using ChatGPT — what’s your company’s excuse?

Key Topics

OpenAI “Tokens of Appreciation” Awards

  • Launched in October 2025
  • Only 141 companies worldwide received awards
  • Three tiers: Silver (10B tokens), Black (100B tokens), and Blue (top level)
  • Physical trophies as new status symbols in the AI community

The Winners – The 1-Billion-Token Club

  • Duolingo: Uses ChatGPT for personalized language learning content
  • Shopify: Embeds AI into e-commerce management
  • Salesforce: CRM giant leverages ChatGPT for customer intelligence
  • HubSpot: AI-powered marketing automation
  • Stripe: Uses ChatGPT for fraud detection and customer support
  • Notion: Productivity platform with advanced AI features

The Champions – The 100-Billion-Token Club

  • McKinsey: 100B tokens = 75B words = 500,000 novels = 7M consulting reports
  • PwC: Largest ChatGPT Enterprise customer with 100,000+ licenses
  • PwC: First official OpenAI reseller with 950+ clients
  • BCG: Deep AI integration in client consulting projects
  • Bain & Company: Strategic AI implementation across operations
  • Deloitte: Completing the Big Four circle

How the Big Four Use ChatGPT

  • Direct use in client projects (not just internally)
  • Clients ask: “Why pay €500/hour when AI does the work?”
  • PwC’s reseller model: selling ChatGPT Enterprise to their clients
  • Internal productivity boost: higher output with the same headcount

The Pentagon & Morgan Stanley Connection

  • U.S. Department of Defense uses ChatGPT for sensitive operations
  • Morgan Stanley: Adopts ChatGPT under strictest compliance rules
  • Both operate under extreme security standards — and still use AI
  • Proof: Compliance is no longer a valid excuse

Reality Check for European Companies

  • Typical excuses: Compliance, Security, Data Privacy, “We’re still evaluating”
  • Fact: The Pentagon and the Big Four have far stricter requirements
  • Competitors are building massive knowledge and efficiency advantages
  • The window of opportunity is closing fast

What These Numbers Really Mean

  • 100 billion tokens = an unfathomable amount of processed information
  • McKinsey alone = 7 million traditional consulting reports
  • These firms aren’t experimenting — AI is business-critical
  • The productivity gap is already huge

Malcolm’s Core Message

  • “Ship First, Study Later” has never been more important
  • The age of excuses is over — the evidence is undeniable
  • The question is no longer if but when you start
  • Every day of delay = a bigger competitive gap

Notable Quotes

“Holy shit, bro — McKinsey processed 100 BILLION tokens. That’s 7 MILLION consulting reports.”“If the Pentagon uses ChatGPT — what’s your compliance excuse?”“PwC isn’t just the largest ChatGPT customer with 100,000 licenses — they’re the first reseller. They’re selling it to their clients.”“Clients ask: ‘Why pay €500 an hour if AI does the work?’ Good question. But the better one is: What are you doing in your company?”“While you’re still evaluating, your competitors are processing billions of tokens. That lead is not coming back.”

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