Altman Confirms OpenAI Won't IPO in 2026, Calls Timing 'Ill-Advised' Amid Safety Concerns

Sam Altman told Fortune OpenAI will not go public in 2026, saying 'given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public' and adding 'I would say not 2026 - we got a lot of stuff to do.' A prospective listing had been discussed at roughly a $1 trillion valuation; OpenAI is sitting on $122B in committed capital plus a $4.7B revolver, and Altman hinted at a possible cross-lab pact to pause at new capability levels.