OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has repeatedly signaled that the company will not pursue an IPO in 2026, citing the need to prioritize AI safety and alignment work before facing public-market scrutiny. Following a confidential S-1 filing in June and an initial September target, both Altman and CFO Sarah Friar confirmed in August and September that 2027 is the expected window, allowing time to demonstrate stronger safety claims amid rapid large language model advances. The firm continues raising private capital, including talks for a $30 billion round at roughly $1.4 trillion valuation, which reduces immediate pressure to list while funding compute-intensive development. This timeline positions OpenAI against peers like Anthropic and reflects trader focus on regulatory, technical, and competitive milestones that could still shift the debut into late 2027 or beyond.