OpenAI is considering postponing its initial public offering until 2027, Reuters reports, citing The New York Times.
According to the NYT, the company’s advisers have presented management with two possible scenarios: to go public earlier but accept a lower valuation, or to wait until 2027 to try to maintain a target valuation of up to $1 trillion.
Sources speaking to the publication claim that OpenAI has already hired financial advisers and lawyers to prepare for the IPO and had previously been targeting a listing in the third or fourth quarter of 2026. However, advisers have warned the management that, given the volatility of the technology market, investors may be less willing to support a listing at the highest possible valuation.
According to the NYT, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman opposed lowering the target valuation and insisted that the advisers explore the possibility of taking the company public at a valuation of around $1 trillion. OpenAI’s latest private valuation, according to media reports, stood at around $730 billion.
Reuters also notes that OpenAI had previously considered filing with the regulatory authorities in the second half of 2026. Initial discussions centred on raising at least $60 billion, although the timing, size of the offering and valuation could change depending on market conditions and the pace of the business’s growth.
OpenAI’s potential IPO could be one of the biggest events in the history of the technology sector and a major test for the entire artificial intelligence market. Investors will assess not only revenue growth rates, but also the costs of computing infrastructure, dependence on major partners, competition from Google, Anthropic, Meta and other players, as well as the company’s ability to monetise demand for artificial intelligence services.
The delayed IPO may also send a signal to the wider market: despite high interest in artificial intelligence, investors are becoming more cautious about the valuations of fast-growing AI companies. Following significant growth in the technology sector, the market is increasingly demanding not only a large user base and technological leadership, but also a clear financial model.
OpenAI was founded in 2015 and has become one of the key players in the global artificial intelligence market following the launch of ChatGPT. The company is developing the GPT family of models, enterprise AI products, developer tools and infrastructure partnerships to scale computing power.