OpenAI IPO Could Be The Biggest Ever, Aiming For A Whopping $1 Trillion Valuation: Report

• OpenAI has reportedly kicked off IPO talks, with plans to raise at least $60 billion.
• The company might appoint advisors as early as the second half of 2026, according to a new report.
• The IPO, while planned for 2027, could also come by late 2026. 

OpenAI has kicked off discussions for its initial public offering (IPO) that could value the ChatGPT maker at $1 trillion — an unprecedented feat for a company going public — Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.

It is considering filing with securities regulators as soon as the second half of 2026, with preliminary plans to raise at least $60 billion, according to the report. CFO Sarah Friar has reportedly told some associates the company is aiming for a 2027 listing, but some advisers predict it could come even sooner, around late 2026.

The Reuters report comes a day after OpenAI announced it had completed its shift to a for-profit company.

Under the new structure, the non-profit OpenAI Foundation will have legal control over a public benefit corporation called OpenAI Group, which is free to raise funding. OpenAI Foundation will own a 26% stake in the for-profit entity, Microsoft will own 27%, and investors and employees will hold the remaining stake.

Although the timing and quantum of fundraising would depend on market conditions, an IPO would open the door to more efficient capital raising and enable larger acquisitions using public stock, helping to finance CEO Sam Altman's plans to pour trillions of dollars into AI infrastructure, according to people familiar with the company's thinking.

"I think it's fair to say it is the most likely path for us, given the capital needs that we'll have," Altman said in a livestream on Tuesday, referring to the IPO plans.

A successful offering would also mark a win for its major investors such as SoftBank, Microsoft, Thrive Capital, and Abu Dhabi's MGX, among others. 

Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, OpenAI has been at the forefront of global AI proliferation, with several companies in the domain swelling to multi-billion-dollar valuations. Meanwhile, AI-driven optimism at Big Tech has driven public markets to record highs.

Earlier this year, AI cloud company CoreWeave went public at a $23 billion valuation and has roughly tripled since. On Wednesday, Nvidia became the first company to reach a $5 trillion market value, powered by a rally that has cemented its role at the center of the global AI boom.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for OpenAI, a private company, was 'neutral' as of late Wednesday.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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