OpenAI is reportedly gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO) that may value the AI powerhouse as high as $1 trillion, according to a 
  Reuters report 
, potentially making it one of the most significant stock market debuts ever. The company is said to be weighing a filing with securities authorities as soon as the latter half of 2026, with a possible public listing occurring in late 2026 or sometime in 2027. Early conversations suggest OpenAI is aiming to secure at least $60 billion in funding, though this number could climb depending on market trends and company performance, as noted by an 
 Investing.com report 
. While Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has pointed to 2027 as a likely timeframe, some advisers believe the IPO could happen sooner. 
 The IPO discussions come after a major organizational overhaul, with OpenAI transforming its for-profit division into a public benefit corporation (PBC). This new structure, overseen by the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation, enables the company to balance profit motives with societal good while attracting investment. Initially, the nonprofit will control 26% of the PBC, while 
  Microsoft 
 will hold a 27% stake worth about $135 billion, according to a 
 Bloomberg report 
. Under this arrangement, Microsoft receives exclusive rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property through 2032 and deepens its cloud partnership with the AI firm, as detailed in 
 Microsoft's announcement 
. The restructuring is designed to align investor interests with OpenAI’s mission to ensure artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity, as highlighted in a 
 Bloomberg Law quicktake 
. 
  Going public would give OpenAI more flexibility to raise the massive capital needed for its ambitious AI infrastructure expansion. CEO Sam Altman has stressed the necessity of trillions in investment to boost computing capacity, with the company targeting an additional 1 gigawatt of compute each week at lower costs. OpenAI’s current plans include 30 gigawatts of compute, amounting to $1.4 trillion in projected expenses, as it strives to keep up with soaring demand for AI solutions, according to a 
  PYMNTS report 
. The IPO could also pave the way for larger acquisitions and easier access to public capital, which are crucial for advancing Altman’s AGI ambitions, as a 
 StockTwits article 
 observed. Analysts note that the IPO could have a major impact on both the technology and crypto industries. Microsoft’s increased influence in OpenAI’s leadership may affect its own stock price and cloud business, while the AI-driven surge could benefit chipmakers like NVIDIA. In the crypto space, tokens linked to decentralized AI, such as Fetch.ai (FET) and 
 Render 
 Token (RNDR), might experience volatility as institutional interest in AI-blockchain projects grows, according to a 
 Blockchain.news post 
. OpenAI’s restructuring and move toward a public listing also reflect a broader trend in how AI firms balance profit with public interest, with both regulators and investors watching the PBC model’s effectiveness, as Bloomberg reported. 
 Altman has acknowledged that an IPO is highly probable, describing it as "the most likely path" given OpenAI’s funding requirements. The nonprofit foundation remains dedicated to its mission, while the PBC structure enables growth under continued oversight. "We have a non-profit called OpenAI Foundation that governs a Public Benefit Corporation called OpenAI Group," Altman stated in a recent post, emphasizing the dual priorities of AGI’s societal value and financial health, as reported by PYMNTS.
 The outcome of the IPO will depend on investor appetite for high-risk, high-reward technology ventures and OpenAI’s ability to realize its AGI goals. With annualized revenue at $20 billion and significant losses, the company must demonstrate innovation and profitability to justify its lofty valuation. As competition in AI heats up, OpenAI’s public debut could set a new standard for how cutting-edge technologies are financed and managed in the future, according to Investing.com.