OpenAI To IPO In Q4? Retail Frenzy Builds Around AI Giant Backed By Microsoft And Nvidia

• OpenAI is targeting a $1 trillion valuation in its IPO, according to earlier reports.
• Investors forecast 2026 to be a strong year for IPOs.
• OpenAI is reportedly in talks for a pre-IPO funding round, which could raise its valuation to ove $800 billion.

OpenAI is preparing to launch its initial public offering in the fourth quarter, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter amid growing retail investor interest in the company that sits at the center of the artificial intelligence boom.

The ChatGPT developer has begun talks with investment bankers and is beefing up its financial team. Recent hires include a new chief accounting officer, Ajmere Dale, and a new corporate business finance officer, Cynthia Gaylor, who will oversee investor relations, the Journal reported.

Talks of OpenAI’s potential IPO have been doing the rounds for a few months. Many expect the public listing as the next step after OpenAI converted to a for-profit company in October last year. At least one report has indicated the company could target a $1 trillion valuation, making it the largest IPO ever.

OpenAI began as a research lab in 2015. Over the past decade — and especially since the 2022 launch of ChatGPT — its technology has reshaped business and society, pushing the entire tech industry toward AI development. 

The Sam Altman-led company is reportedly in talks for a pre-IPO funding round that could raise its valuation from $500 billion to over $800 billion.

Financial market participants expect 2026 to be the biggest year ever for IPOs, according to the WSJ. OpenAI, rival Anthropic, and SpaceX are among the most closely watched tech firms poised to go public, though listing activity has also picked up for smaller companies.

OpenAI's losses and its eye-popping infrastructure spending plan could emerge as concerns as it moves forward with its IPO plans. CEO Sam Altman said in November that OpenAI would close 2025 with $20 billion in revenue, and “grow to hundreds of billions” annually by 2030.

On Stocktwits, a key gauge of retail investor sentiment, OpenAI has seen a sharp rise in activity, with message volume jumping 80% over the past week and its follower count climbing more than 35% over the past year. Sentiment on the platform currently shows a ‘neutral’ reading, with chatter growing over reports of Amazon planning to inject as much as $50 billion into OpenAI.

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