Microsoft Sells OpenAI Models to Chinese Firms; ByteDance to Spend Over $1B Yearly

Microsoft has built a large business selling OpenAI's AI models to Chinese companies through Azure, with TikTok parent ByteDance set to spend over $1 billion a year on the company's AI and cloud services, according to reporting that emerged on June 17, 2026. ByteDance has in recent years become one of Microsoft's biggest AI customers, primarily using OpenAI models. Microsoft is understood to provide access to these models via its global Azure network, though specific model names and versions have not been disclosed (Straits Times).