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Sam Altman Says OpenAI Will Not Go Public in 2026, Citing AI Safety Work

September 12, 2026 at 22:13 EDT

Funding & M&A
Policy & Regulation

OpenAI will not hold an initial public offering in 2026, Chief Executive Sam Altman said, calling a listing now an “ill-advised moment” because of unfinished work on AI safety, alignment, and industry-government coordination. Speaking in a Fortune interview published Saturday, Altman said the company does not feel pressure to rush to market and will go public when the business and the broader moment around the technology are ready.

September 2026 · OpenAI

No IPO in 2026

Sam Altman said listing this year would be an ill-advised moment. Safety, alignment, and industry-government work come first while OpenAI stays private.

Valuation gap (prior private vs. target)

$730B

Last private (NYT)

$1T

Altman IPO target

Advisers had framed 2027 as the path to a trillion-dollar listing versus a faster, lower-valued 2026 debut.

2026

IPO year ruled out

10%

Catastrophic-risk figure Altman called unacceptable this decade

Private

Room to pause training without public-shareholder pressure

Why stay private

Safety and alignment work, possible training pauses, and coordination with governments and peers without rushing a listing.

Skeptical reading

Some in the industry say a delay also postpones hard financial disclosure and can slow costly frontier training.

What comes next

Stay private → Safety & alignment → Possible industry pact → IPO when ready

Altman did not lock a 2027 date. He said OpenAI will list when the business and the moment around the technology are ready.

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