Altman says OpenAI will not go public in 2026, citing safety and an ill-advised moment
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What happened
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said the company would not go public in 2026, in an interview with Fortune editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell published on 12 September 2026. Asked about timing, Altman said, "I would say not 2026," adding that OpenAI had "got a lot of stuff to do." He also said that, given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public.
Altman told Fortune that OpenAI did not feel pressure to go public and would do so when the business and the company were ready and the moment in society with the technology was right. He pointed to what would be required for safety and alignment, and to governance, saying the company needed to be able to make decisions that are not obviously in the interest of its business and its shareholders. Fortune also cited a New York Times report in June that OpenAI was leaning toward pushing back an IPO that could value it at $1 trillion from this year to next. Fortune gave no IPO date, offering size or target valuation for OpenAI.
Key points
- Altman told Fortune "I would say not 2026" when asked about an OpenAI IPO.12
- He said right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public, given everything happening with safety.12
- Reasons given: safety and alignment work, and the ability to make decisions not obviously in shareholders' interest.1
- Altman said OpenAI does not feel pressure to go public.1
- A June New York Times report, cited by Fortune, said OpenAI was leaning toward delaying an IPO that could value it at $1 trillion.1
Why it matters
On the CEO's account a public listing is not part of 2026, so employees and early holders have no IPO route to liquidity this year and any sale of stakes stays in private markets.
Altman said OpenAI needs room for decisions that are not obviously in the interest of its business and shareholders. That stated approach to governance bears on how outside holders' interests rank against the company's other priorities.
The $1 trillion figure comes from a New York Times report cited by Fortune, not from the company. No listing valuation or offering size has been given by OpenAI.
In context
| Round | Date | Post-money valuation | Raised | Led by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funding round | Oct 2, 2024 | $157B | $6.6B | Thrive Capital |
| Funding round | Mar 31, 2025 | $300B | $40B | SoftBank |
| Funding round | Feb 27, 2026 | $852B | $122B | a16z, D. E. Shaw Ventures, MGX, SoftBank, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., and TPG |
Updated
Fact-check
- Altman said OpenAI will not go public in 2026.Confirmed by [1] Fortune, which quotes Altman: "I would say not 2026." [2] Axios and [3] Bloomberg returned 403 to the checker, so this rests on Fortune.Verified
- Altman called right now an ill-advised moment to go public, given everything happening with safety.Confirmed by [1] Fortune, which quotes the phrase. [2] Axios and [3] Bloomberg returned 403 to the checker, so this rests on Fortune.Verified
- Altman cited safety and alignment work and governance as reasons, and said OpenAI does not feel pressure to go public.Confirmed by [1] Fortune: he referred to what is required for safety and alignment, to decisions not obviously in the interest of the business and shareholders, and said "we don't feel pressure on that."Verified
- Fortune cited a New York Times report in June that OpenAI was leaning toward pushing back an IPO that could value it at $1 trillion.Confirmed by [1] Fortune, which states this and links the NYT report; the NYT article itself was not read.Verified
- The Fortune interview, conducted by editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell, was published on 12 September 2026.Confirmed by [1] Fortune, dated 12 September 2026 and naming Shontell as interviewer.Verified
Sources
- [1]Fortune (opens in a new tab)Sam Altman: OpenAI IPO delay, ill-advised moment, safety concernsI would say not 2026.
- [2]Axios (opens in a new tab)OpenAI delaying IPO amid AI safety concerns, Sam Altman saysRight now would be an ill-advised moment to go public
- [3]Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)OpenAI's Altman Says No IPO in 2026, Firm to Prioritize SafetyOpenAI won't go public in this year as the artificial intelligence company focuses on addressing safety-related concerns
