OpenAI is gearing up for a landmark initial public offering (IPO) that could value the artificial intelligence giant at nearly $1 trillion, potentially ranking it among the largest public listings in history. Insiders indicate the ChatGPT developer may file with regulators in the latter half of 2026, with a full market debut expected in 2027.
CEO Sam Altman said going public is now the “most likely path” as OpenAI accelerates AI infrastructure expansion and pursues massive capital infusion for next-generation systems. The listing would grant wider access to global markets, fund large-scale acquisitions, and advance Altman’s plan to invest trillions into advanced computing and AI development worldwide.
The strategy follows a major internal restructuring designed to lessen reliance on Microsoft. The newly established OpenAI Foundation now manages a 26 percent stake in the for-profit arm, along with warrants tied to key performance targets.
OpenAI’s revenue run rate is approaching $20 billion annually, driving its private valuation to around $500 billion. A successful IPO could deliver enormous returns to investors including SoftBank, Thrive Capital, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX, cementing OpenAI as the cornerstone of the global AI economy.
The potential listing arrives during a historic surge in AI valuations, with Nvidia’s worth topping $5 trillion and firms like CoreWeave seeing stock prices triple post-IPO—signs that OpenAI’s public entry may herald the next wave of AI-driven market expansion.
