OpenAI confidentially files for US IPO, joins Anthropic and SpaceX in 2026 listing wave

OpenAI has confidentially filed for an initial public offering in the US, the ChatGPT creator said on Monday, becoming the third major AI company this year to set up plans for a Wall Street debut. In a post on X, OpenAI said it had filed confidential paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission but had not decided when it would launch publicly. "We expect it to leak so we're just announcing it," the company wrote. "We have not decided on timing yet; it may be a while because there are things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company."

The filing comes as rival Anthropic announced on June 1 that it was pursuing an IPO, and SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket-building company that owns Grok creator xAI, is expected to debut in the US on Friday. The last 12 months have produced a string of blockbuster listings during a tech investment boom, with crypto firms including stablecoin issuer Circle and trading platforms eToro and Bullish raising billions of dollars after going public last year.

In a blog post accompanying OpenAI's announcement, co-founder and CEO Sam Altman and chief scientist Jakub Pachocki said one of OpenAI's main goals is to build an AI system capable of researching AI technology to improve itself. On Thursday, Anthropic said AI development has advanced to the point that AI could soon build, train and improve itself without human input, and that development should slow until the risks are known. Altman and Pachocki said the economy "is beginning to reshape around AI," and questioned how to make "advanced AI abundant, affordable, safe, useful, and easy enough for every person and organization to benefit from it." They added: "A good AI future cannot be one where a small number of institutions control most of the capability and most of the upside. It should be a future where many people, companies, communities, and countries can build, benefit, and hold power."

Companies have cited productivity gains from AI as a reason for workforce reductions, with nearly 117,000 tech employees laid off so far this year, according to layoffs.fyi. Crypto firms have cut more than 5,000 jobs in 2026, with several pointing to AI-driven efficiencies. Block Inc. carried out the largest round of crypto-sector layoffs this year, cutting 4,000 staff in February in what it described as an AI-driven reduction.