TLDR
- OpenAI is in early talks with investors for a funding round valuing it at over $1.2 trillion
- The round would surpass rival Anthropic’s $965 billion valuation from May 2026
- CEO Sam Altman says AI companies can handle safety without government regulation
- OpenAI’s IPO is unlikely before 2027, Altman confirmed
- Anthropic is also heading toward an IPO, eyeing Nasdaq as early as October
OpenAI is in early talks with investors about a new funding round that would value the company at more than $1.2 trillion. The talks were started by investors, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named.
OPENAI WEIGHS NEW FUNDING ROUND AT $1.2 TRILLION VALUATION
OpenAI has held early talks with investors about another private funding round that could value the company at roughly $1.2T, up from $852B in March.
The discussions were reportedly initiated by investors and are still… pic.twitter.com/Dzb0Wp12Vr
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) September 15, 2026
The round has not been finalized. It depends on when OpenAI decides to move forward with a public listing.
OpenAI’s IPO Plans
CEO Sam Altman confirmed to Fortune that an IPO is still planned but will not happen this year. He said the company will likely not go public until 2027.
If the funding round goes ahead, it would value OpenAI higher than its main rival Anthropic. Anthropic raised funds in May 2026 at a $965 billion valuation.
The new round would also let existing investors increase their stakes before any public offering.
Anthropic is moving faster on its IPO. The company has picked Nasdaq as its listing venue and could go public as soon as October. It is aiming to raise as much as or more than SpaceX, which raised a record $86.3 billion in its June offering.
Altman on AI Safety
Separately, Altman spoke at the Dreamforce conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. He appeared alongside Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
Altman said he is confident the AI industry can develop the technology safely on its own. He pushed back against calls for government regulation.
“I am very confident in our company’s ability, our industry’s ability, to do this safely,” Altman said.
His comments came after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay over the weekend. Amodei raised concerns about the risks of AI and suggested development may need to slow down.
OpenAI is working with Anthropic and Google DeepMind on safety issues. But Altman said companies should be able to improve AI models without outside control.
“I’m disappointed by how it’s been framed,” he said, referring to the debate around AI regulation.
The two CEOs have different views on how quickly AI should move and how much oversight is needed.
Altman’s confidence comes at a time when policymakers are actively debating whether new laws are needed to manage AI development.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT remains one of the most used AI tools in the world. A funding round at $1.2 trillion would make it one of the most valuable private companies ever.
The Financial Times first reported on the funding talks Tuesday. OpenAI has not made any official announcement about the round.
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