Report: Altman expects OpenAI to go public within the next year, GPT-5.6 may be released this month.

According to media reports, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees via Slack that he expects the company to conduct its initial public offering (IPO) "within the next year." The previously submitted prospectus was only meant to reserve "the option to go public earlier if we want."

Delaying the listing until 2027 would surprise many, especially considering that Anthropic appears to be going public in the coming weeks. Previous reports stated that OpenAI could conduct its IPO as early as September of this year.

Altman has good reason to wait: Anthropic's growth data looks stronger, while OpenAI is still burning cash. Going public now could lead to damaged valuation.

Altman has voiced a different reason for the delay: progress in self-improving AI might postpone the IPO, because "technology and the world may change in unexpected ways, and staying private could be justified during this time."

However, he also said that the huge capital demand for computational infrastructure might accelerate the listing process. Altman also announced an upcoming employee stock sale at a price of $687.69 per share.

OpenAI is also preparing a new model codenamed 5.6. Research chief Jakub Pachocki said it is a major upgrade compared to GPT-5.5 and may be released in June. Anthropic has already set a high industry benchmark with its Fable and Mythos 5 models.

Risk warning and disclaimerThe market is risky and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice nor does it take into account the individual investor's special investment objectives, financial situation, or needs. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions contained in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. If you invest based on this, you do so at your own risk.