OpenAI Is Reportedly Targeting an IPO Debut Above $1 Trillion. Should Investors Watch Sam Altman's Path to Public Markets?

OpenAI, one of the world's fastest-growing AI companies, filed its confidential paperwork for an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in June. CEO Sam Altman is reportedly targeting a valuation of at least $1 trillion before it goes public. It was valued at $852 billion after its latest funding round on March 31.

OpenAI hasn't set a firm timeline for its public debut yet, but CFO Sarah Friar recently said in an internal meeting that it would be "a public company in 2027." Let's see how fast OpenAI is growing, what challenges it faces, and what its market debut might look like next year.

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How fast is OpenAI growing?

In late 2024, OpenAI had an annualized revenue run rate (ARR) of $3.7 billion. Its ARR rose to about $20 billion at the end of 2025, $25 billion in early 2026, and over $40 billion in Aug. 2026.

That acceleration was driven by its launches of ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro, which cost $20 and $200 per month, respectively; its growth among enterprise customers, and the expansion of its developer ecosystem with more application programming interfaces (APIs).