By Nick Brown, Tech and Politics Correspondent, Stock Trader Network
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees he expects the ChatGPT maker to go public within the next year, while the company is also preparing a private share sale at $687.69 per share, according to new reporting from The Information.
The planned share sale is not an IPO and does not mean public investors can buy OpenAI stock at that price. The $687.69 figure is tied to a private liquidity event for employees and existing shareholders. Even so, it gives the market a new private‑market price marker for one of the most closely watched companies in the AI trade as it moves closer to a potential listing.
Altman delivered the message in Slack at the same time OpenAI disclosed that it had filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Information reported that Altman told staff the filing gives the company flexibility to move sooner if needed, while also noting that the timeline could shift in either direction. He said OpenAI needs massive capital to keep building out compute and infrastructure, which could push the company toward a faster listing. But he also said rapid progress in AI could make staying private more attractive.
According to The Information, Altman pointed to the possibility of recursive self‑improvement, a scenario in which AI systems help create new AI systems. If the technology moves in that direction, he said the company may want to remain private while the landscape changes, since public‑market pressures could limit how OpenAI responds to fast‑moving developments.
The Information also reported that OpenAI is exploring a large data‑center project in Ohio that would require financing for hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Nvidia chips. That scale of investment adds to the pressure on OpenAI to secure long‑term capital, whether through private markets or a future IPO.
Alongside the IPO discussion, OpenAI is preparing to release a new model, GPT 5.6. The company described it internally as a meaningful improvement over GPT 5.5 and expects to launch it this month, according to The Information. Chief scientist Jakub Pachocki told staff the model represents another step forward in capability as OpenAI continues to push toward more advanced systems.
A potential OpenAI listing would be one of the biggest market events in the AI trade. The company remains the most closely watched private name in the sector, and any move toward an IPO would shape how investors position around the next wave of AI companies. The $687.69 share‑sale price now gives traders a clearer sense of where private markets are valuing OpenAI as the company edges closer to a decision on when to go public.
