Deepseek profit margin 545% "estimated market value exceeds 10 billion"? Bloomberg criticizes: Theoretical value, users may not want to pay

While the theoretical profit data of DeepSeek is impressive, the sustainability of actual revenue still needs time to be tested, and whether it can successfully transform technological innovation into stable profits in the future remains a key challenge. (Background: Nvidia's revenue growth exceeded expectations by 114%, why is Jensen Huang not afraid of DeepSeek's impact?) (Context: China is crazy about grabbing RTX5090 '8-card trainable DeepSeek R1', Taiwan bundles single card gift package up to 400,000 TWD) Chinese AI startup DeepSeek recently revealed the profit data of its V3 and R1 model inference systems, with a theoretical cost profit margin as high as 545%. This figure has not only shocked the industry but also sparked discussions on the profit model and business feasibility of AI enterprises. However, Bloomberg experts caution that these data are only theoretical calculations, and the sustainability of actual revenue remains unknown. DeepSeek discloses 'theoretical profit margin' shocks the AI industry Last Saturday (1), DeepSeek publicly disclosed for the first time on the Zhihu platform the cost and profit data of its inference system. According to the data, based on the pricing of the R1 model, the company's daily average revenue from inference services during the 24-hour period from February 27 to 28, 2025, reached an astonishing $562,027 (approximately 18.65 million TWD), with a cost profit margin of 545%. According to DeepSeek, these data are based on the GPU cost calculation of its V3 and R1 models. DeepSeek uses the H800 GPU to provide inference services and adopts efficient data processing and transmission technology to maximize hardware performance. This operational model demonstrates DeepSeek's strong advantage in cost control. Discrepancy between actual revenue and theoretical figures Although the profit data disclosed by DeepSeek is impressive, the company also emphasizes that these figures are based on theoretical calculations and do not represent actual revenue. Bloomberg experts point out that although the achievements of DeepSeek in cost control and technological innovation are remarkable, the sustainability of actual revenue remains a key factor for its future development. After all, for most AI companies, how to transform these theoretically high efficiency levels into stable revenue is still an urgent issue to be addressed. In fact, DeepSeek currently only commercializes some services, and certain services even offer discounts during off-peak hours. Therefore, actual revenue is far lower than the theoretical figures mentioned above. MenloVentures investor Deedy commented after reviewing the data: A profit margin exceeding 500% would make a company worth over 10 billion dollars in the United States. Fierce market competition, unverified business models Currently, large AI companies globally, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, etc., are actively exploring various commercialization models, from subscription-based to usage-based pricing, to licensing fees. The profit models of these companies are still being experimented with and adjusted, and most have not yet achieved profitability. DeepSeek's low-cost strategy undoubtedly poses a challenge to these companies, especially in the pricing of its inference services, where DeepSeek's R1 model API is only one-seventh to half the price of similar products from OpenAI. However, the market competition remains fierce, and whether DeepSeek can maintain such business efficiency in the long term and stand out in an increasingly saturated market remains to be seen. Related Reports: Nvidia's revenue growth exceeded expectations by 114%, why is Jensen Huang not afraid of DeepSeek's impact? China is crazy about grabbing RTX5090 '8-card trainable DeepSeek R1', Taiwan bundles single card gift package up to 400,000 TWD Depth Analysis: The impact of DeepSeek on Web3 AI upstream and downstream protocols Profit margin of DeepSeek 545% 'Estimated market value exceeding 10 billion'? Bloomberg criticizes: Theoretical value, users may not necessarily want to pay This article was first published on BlockTempo, the most influential blockchain news media in the dynamic field.