Sam Altman signaled to OpenAI staff that the company is preparing to go public within the next year while quietly filing an S-1 to keep timing flexible. The same internal note previewed a new model internally called 5.6 and flagged that rapid recursive self-improvement could make staying private strategically smarter if progress accelerates.
New: We got the memo OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and chief scientist Jakub Pachocki sent to staff earlier this week on IPO timing, the possibility of recursive self-improvement and OpenAI's upcoming model.
https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/exclusive-openai-preps-new-ai-model-expects-go-public-within-next-year
A tender offer is planned soon at the most recent valuation of roughly $852 billion post-money, giving current and former employees a chance to sell shares without waiting for an IPO.
Altman noted that fast RSI progress could tilt the advantage toward remaining private longer, though no confirmed timeline for that capability was shared in the memo.
Positive users see OpenAI delaying its IPO to chase recursive self-improvement as a wise way to skip quarterly pressures, while negative users call the timing cynical exit liquidity ahead of major AI breakthroughs.
OpenAI appears to be preparing for a possible IPO within the next year, but Sam Altman is keeping the door open.
If recursive self-improvement starts looking real, staying private could become the smarter move.
At the same time, OpenAI’s enormous compute needs may push it toward public markets sooner, while the company is also preparing a new model, codenamed 5.6, described internally as a meaningful improvement over GPT-5.5.
via The Information
New: We got the memo OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and chief scientist Jakub Pachocki sent to staff earlier this week on IPO timing, the possibility of recursive self-improvement and OpenAI's upcoming model.
https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/exclusive-openai-preps-new-ai-model-expects-go-public-within-next-year
The most significant part of this report to me was Sam Altman admitting OpenAI may be less than six months away from Recursive Self Improvement.
According to the report from The Information if OpenAI does hit RSI this year, then the IPO could be delayed. They quote Sam Altman as saying 'The faster the potential RSI takeoff looks like it could be, the more it could be advantageous to delay an IPO' because the 'technology and the world may change in surprising ways, and there might be good reasons to be a private company during that time.'
the permanent underclass is looking more and more like a real thing
Sam Altman: "If recursive self-improvement starts looking real, staying private could become the smarter move"
OpenAI appears to be preparing for a possible IPO within the next year, but Sam Altman is keeping the door open.
If recursive self-improvement starts looking real, staying private could become the smarter move.
At the same time, OpenAI’s enormous compute needs may push it toward public markets sooner, while the company is also preparing a new model, codenamed 5.6, described internally as a meaningful improvement over GPT-5.5.
via The Information
https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-expects-go-public-within-next-year-information-reports-2026-06-10/
The most significant part of this report to me was Sam Altman admitting OpenAI may be less than six months away from Recursive Self Improvement.
According to the report from The Information if OpenAI does hit RSI this year, then the IPO could be delayed. They quote Sam Altman as saying 'The faster the potential RSI takeoff looks like it could be, the more it could be advantageous to delay an IPO' because the 'technology and the world may change in surprising ways, and there might be good reasons to be a private company during that time.'
This is true from OpenAI's self-interested POV but the logic cuts the other way from the POV of limiting power concentration and distributing the benefits to ordinary investors.
we live in very strange times
@notjazii "This month"
@AndrewCurran_ it sure is amazing how openai always has leaks and press releases that happen to coincide with claims from other labs that come out first. 1000 batting average.
also a very good time for an excuse to delay the IPO which is what the CFO advised and was shot down on.
lucky.
The most significant part of this report to me was Sam Altman admitting OpenAI may be less than six months away from Recursive Self Improvement.
According to the report from The Information if OpenAI does hit RSI this year, then the IPO could be delayed. They quote Sam Altman as saying 'The faster the potential RSI takeoff looks like it could be, the more it could be advantageous to delay an IPO' because the 'technology and the world may change in surprising ways, and there might be good reasons to be a private company during that time.'
@kimmonismus the recursive improvement angle is actually the only good reason to delay an IPO
who wants quarterly pressure when agi might shift the whole board?
@kimmonismus this deserves saves for real
@AndrewCurran_ sam delaying IPO if RSI is imminent is a major positive update in favor of him for me, +1
@kimmonismus next year
so wen GPT 5.6?
@kimmonismus They will do IPO soon because the private capital is drying up.
@AndrewCurran_ lol no one believes Altman. Unless 5.6 can realistically challenge SOTA, which I doubt, they are racing towards exit liquidity.
Also for the open ai "save us Sam" crowd, language saying staying private is a slap in the face. Yank that ladder up
@gonlenidefi valid, however, got the feeling they need a reason for a delay because anthropic will do their IPO quicker than OAI
@Tony54381404 yes, i agree on that
@AndrewCurran_ Interesting to consider it within the context of Anthropic also pursuing their IPO.
@nrqa__ :)
@AndrewCurran_ Sam Altman is probably among the least trustful CEOs in the world. How does this company not realize that before an IPO? Does this board not do their job?
@AndrewCurran_ OMOG that would be so bulliish
@steph_palazzolo
Sam Altman signaled to OpenAI staff that the company is preparing to go public within the next year while quietly filing an S-1 to keep timing flexible. The same internal note previewed a new model internally called 5.6 and flagged that rapid recursive self-improvement could make staying private strategically smarter if progress accelerates.
New: We got the memo OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and chief scientist Jakub Pachocki sent to staff earlier this week on IPO timing, the possibility of recursive self-improvement and OpenAI's upcoming model.
https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/exclusive-openai-preps-new-ai-model-expects-go-public-within-next-year
