Altman says OpenAI IPO won’t happen until 2027

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed Saturday that the company will not go public in 2026, saying in an interview with Fortune that an IPO right now would be "ill-advised" given the current landscape around AI safety.

A Timeline Pushed Back

"We're not rushing into an IPO," Altman told Fortune editor in chief Alyson Shontell. "I actually think that given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public." When pressed on whether that ruled out a 2026 listing, Altman was direct: "I would say not 2026, yeah. We've got a lot of stuff to do."finance.yahoo

Bloomberg reported that the IPO will not take place until 2027, framing Altman's remarks as a firm delay rather than mere caution. The comments come despite OpenAI having confidentially filed for an IPO earlier this year, with the company having hired bankers and lawyers with a target of going public in the third or fourth quarter of 2026.bloomberg+1

Safety and Market Headwinds

Altman's decision to pump the brakes reflects a convergence of pressures. The interview took place amid the fallout from a recent hack involving OpenAI and HuggingFace, as well as broader debates over AI safety — topics Altman pointed to as reasons for restraint. He said the company would go public only "when the business is ready, when we feel ready from what the moment is like in society with this technology."finance.yahoo

The New York Times had reported in June that OpenAI was already leaning toward 2027 due to tech stock volatility and the company's own financial challenges. Altman's public acknowledgment now cements what had been an internal deliberation.finance.yahoo

What Comes Next

The delay raises questions for OpenAI's investors, who have backed the company at a valuation that has made it one of the most valuable private firms in the world. An IPO remains a central path for those investors to realize returns, but Altman signaled that the company's priorities lie elsewhere for now. "We've got a lot of stuff to do," he said.finance.yahoo