OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated on September 30 that the company will not pursue an IPO in 2026, prioritizing stronger safety and alignment assurances for its advancing large language models before facing public-market scrutiny. This follows earlier September comments ruling out a 2026 listing and comes amid a confidential S-1 filing from June. The firm is instead advancing a bridge financing round targeting at least $30 billion at roughly $1.4 trillion valuation, supported by revenue growth approaching a $70 billion annualized run rate. Rival Anthropic’s expected fall listing adds competitive pressure, while OpenAI’s timeline hinges on internal safety progress and market conditions that could still shift toward early 2027.