OpenAI Delays IPO Beyond 2026 as Altman Cites AI Safety Risks
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 12
OpenAI Delays IPO Beyond 2026 as Altman Cites AI Safety Risks
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 12
Summary
Sam Altman said OpenAI will not go public in 2026, despite the company having already filed confidentially for an IPO.
AI safety concerns drove the delay, with Altman saying the current moment is "ill-advised" for a listing amid fallout from the OpenAI-HuggingFace hack and broader scrutiny of the technology.
Altman said OpenAI will go public only when the business is ready and the societal climate around AI is more suitable, signaling timing will depend on more than market conditions.
The decision pushes back plans outlined by the New York Times in June, which said OpenAI had hired bankers and lawyers for a third- or fourth-quarter 2026 IPO but was already leaning toward 2027.