OpenAI CFO Tells Employees Public Debut Coming by 2027

Friar said OpenAI could make its public debut this year if “our business continues to inflect,” Friar said, according to the report.

She also told employees there is no reason to worry if Anthropic, OpenAI’s chief rival, goes public first because “we are running our own race,” per the report.

Friar said that OpenAI’s revenue run rate is up 35% so far this quarter, its enterprise revenue run rate is up 50%, and its AI coding and work product has reached 20 million weekly active users, according to the report.

OpenAI did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

Both OpenAI and Anthropic have filed confidential paperwork to go public. Bloomberg reported Aug. 13 that Anthropic is expected to reach the market as soon as this fall.

OpenAI said June 8 that it had submitted a confidential S-1, a registration statement required for an initial public offering, to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said it had not decided on timing but that the move “gives us the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best.”

It was reported Tuesday (Aug. 18) that Anthropic’s sales topped those of OpenAI for the first time in the second quarter.

OpenAI told investors that its revenue grew by 18% and reached $6.7 billion in the second quarter, according to the report. Anthropic’s revenue more than doubled and reached $11.6 billion in the second quarter, per the report.