According to ChainCatcher, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that OpenAI has held informal talks with several Wall Street banks and hired key financial experts, including Chief Accountant Ajmere Dale, in preparation for an IPO in the fourth quarter of 2026. The company is concerned that Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees and making continuous progress with its Claude model, may preemptively go public after raising over $10 billion.
Both companies face challenges such as building AI infrastructure and litigation. CEO Sam Altman admitted that he had mixed feelings: he felt no excitement about becoming the CEO of a publicly traded company, but going public would have some benefits for OpenAI itself.
