OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and one of the world's most prominent artificial intelligence platforms, is now weighing a 2027 timeline for its initial public offering. Three people familiar with the company's internal deliberations have indicated this shift in direction, spotlighting the uncertain road ahead for fast-rising AI giants as they contemplate going public.
The $1 Trillion Valuation Ambition
OpenAI had already brought in top-tier investment banks, including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, to help plan the path to a public listing. Chief executive Sam Altman directed those advisers to find a route that would value the company at $1 trillion at the time of its IPO, a steep jump from its most recent private valuation of $730 billion. The ambition signals how dramatically OpenAI's standing has grown, even as external pressures now complicate when that milestone can realistically be reached.
SpaceX Sets the Comparison Benchmark
The competitive backdrop sharpened this month when Sam Altman's rival Elon Musk became a billionaire after his company, SpaceX, launched its own IPO. OpenAI is expected to match or surpass the SpaceX IPO in market performance. Investors hoping to buy in at the ground floor of the ChatGPT maker's public debut, however, will now need to wait longer than previously expected.
Market Volatility Throws Up a Roadblock
Global markets have been inconsistent in recent weeks, and technology stocks have continued to drag down broader indexes. Investors are openly questioning whether AI companies can live up to their sky-high promises, a concern that has been circling the sector since earlier this year. The AI bubble worry is not new; it weighed down tech stocks at the start of this year as well. Over the past week, OpenAI's advisers held conversations with the company and cautioned that retail investors, in the current climate, may greet its shares with little enthusiasm.
Where Things Stand
OpenAI has not made any official statement confirming a change to its IPO timeline. The company had previously pointed to September 2026 as a possible window for going public. With markets remaining unsettled and its own financial advisers urging patience, the 2027 horizon now appears to be the more realistic target for one of the most anticipated tech listings in recent memory.
