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

OpenAI launched a new awards program in October 2025: “Tokens of Appreciation” — physical trophies for companies based on their ChatGPT usage.

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.”

Where to Find Malcolm Werchota

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/malcolmwerchota
• Website: werchota.ai
• YouTube: @werchota
• X: @malcolmwerchota
• Facebook: AI Cookbook by Malcolm Werchota
• Instagram: @malcolmwerchotaai
• TikTok: @malcolmwerchota

Get in Touch

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📩 malcolm@werchota.ai

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Tags: #ChatGPT #OpenAI #McKinsey #PwC #BigFour #AIAdoption #EnterpriseAI #AITransformation #ChatGPTEnterprise #AIImplementation #ConsultingIndustry #MalcolmWerchota #AICookbook