OpenAI Blindsided by Its Own IPO Leak, Eyes $39B Revenue in 2026
Some OpenAI executives were caught off guard by reports of a late 2026 IPO timeline.
Awkward. Some OpenAI executives apparently learned about their company's Q4 2026 IPO target the same way everyone else did — from the Wall Street Journal.
The ChatGPT maker is plotting an aggressive growth trajectory to justify what's shaping up to be one of the most anticipated public offerings in tech history. The company expects to hit roughly $13 billion in revenue this year and wants to triple that figure in 2026.
Why the rush to $39 billion? OpenAI is gearing up to spend tens of billions of dollars, likely on the compute infrastructure needed to keep its AI models competitive. That kind of cash burn requires either very patient private investors or public market money.
The IPO timeline remains fluid, but the revenue ambitions are crystal clear: grow fast or get left behind.