OpenAI CFO tells staff the company plans an IPO in 2027, or sooner if growth holds

OpenAI plans to become a public company in 2027, and possibly sooner, chief financial officer Sarah Friar reportedly told employees at an all-hands meeting on August 19, 2026. Friar said the company “will be a public company in 2027” but could debut earlier if “our business continues to inflect,” according to people familiar with her comments.

It is the clearest timeline yet from OpenAI’s leadership on a listing that would rank among the largest in technology history. OpenAI confidentially filed an IPO prospectus with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in June 2026 but has not disclosed a debut date publicly.

Friar reportedly played down the moment, telling staff “the IPO is not a finish line, it is a milestone, another fundraise.” She pointed to the $122 billion OpenAI raised in March 2026 as giving the company flexibility on when to list rather than forcing its hand.

The comments align with a position Friar was said to hold privately earlier this year, favoring a 2027 listing over an earlier 2026 debut that chief executive Sam Altman had preferred. OpenAI has not confirmed the remarks on the record.

A 2027 target is guidance, not a filing date. Confidential paperwork can sit with regulators for months, and OpenAI has tied the timing explicitly to its own growth. If revenue keeps inflecting, the date moves up; if it stalls, the window slips.