OpenAI’s Sam Altman says it would be 'ill-advised' to go public in 2026 | TechCrunch

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In Brief

Posted:
1:19 PM PDT · September 12, 2026

Image Credits:Nathan Laine/Bloomberg / Getty Images

Anthony Ha

OpenAI’s Sam Altman says it would be ‘ill-advised’ to go public in 2026

While OpenAI has filed confidentially for an IPO, the company will not be going public this year, according to CEO Sam Altman.
Altman was interviewed recently by Fortune editor in chief Alyson Shontell; amidst the fallout from the OpenAI-HuggingFace hack, as well as broader discussions about AI safety, Shontell asked whether OpenAI still feels pressure to “move really fast” due to its IPO plans.

“We’re not rushing into an IPO,” Altman said. “I actually think that given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public.”
Instead, he insisted that OpenAI will go public “when we’re ready, which is when the business is ready, when we feel ready from what the moment is like in society with this technology.” When pressed on whether that means the IPO isn’t happening in 2026, Altman replied, “I would say not 2026, yeah. We’ve got a lot of stuff to do.”
The New York Times reported in June that although OpenAI had hired bankers and lawyers with the goal of going public in the third or fourth quarter of 2026, the company was leaning toward 2027 due to the volatility of tech stocks and its own financial challenges.

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Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has expressed reservations about the timing of the company's Initial Public Offering (IPO). Despite having filed confidentially for the offering, Altman contended that proceeding with a public debut in 2026 would be an ill-advised move, particularly given the ongoing concerns surrounding AI safety and recent events like the OpenAI-HuggingFace hack. He indicated that the motivation for this caution stems from the broader societal context surrounding the development of this technology, suggesting that a public offering at this moment is not strategically sound.

Altman emphasized that OpenAI is deliberately choosing not to rush the IPO. He asserted that the release should occur when the business is fully prepared and when the societal readiness aligns with the advancement of this technology, rather than being compelled by immediate deadlines. When questioned about the specific year 2026, Altman clarified that he did not entirely rule out that timeline, acknowledging that the company has substantial developmental tasks remaining.

Previous reporting indicated a slight divergence from Altman's current stance, as The New York Times had reported in June that while OpenAI had engaged financial advisors aiming for an IPO in the third or fourth quarter of 2026, the company was more inclined toward 2027. This shift in projection was attributed to the inherent volatility within the technology stock market and internal financial considerations faced by the organization. Thus, Altman's current position reflects a calculated assessment that prioritizes organizational readiness and external societal readiness over adhering strictly to pre-set timelines.