Reports indicate that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman informed staff via Slack that he anticipates the company will conduct an initial public offering within the next year. The previously filed prospectus was merely to preserve the option of going public sooner if desired.

Delaying a public listing until 2027 would surprise many, particularly given that rival Anthropic appears poised for its own market debut in the coming weeks. Prior reports suggested OpenAI could launch its IPO as early as this September.

Altman has sound reasons for waiting. Anthropic's growth metrics appear more robust, while OpenAI continues to operate at a significant cash burn. An IPO under current conditions could potentially result in a diminished valuation.

Altman offered a different perspective on the potential delay. He suggested that progress in self-improving artificial intelligence could postpone the IPO, as technology and the global landscape may evolve in unforeseen ways, providing compelling reasons to remain private during that period.

However, he also noted that the enormous capital requirements for computing infrastructure could accelerate the path to a public listing. Altman further announced an upcoming employee stock sale, with shares priced at $687.69 each.

OpenAI is also preparing a new model, codenamed 5.6. Research lead Jakub Pachocki described it as a major upgrade over GPT-5.5, with a potential release this June. Anthropic has already set a high industry benchmark with its recent Fable and Mythos 5 models.