OpenAI Stock & IPO 2026: Valuation, How to Invest, IPO Date

OpenAI has filed a confidential S-1 with the SEC as of June 8, 2026, and carries a private valuation of approximately $852 billion from its March 2026 financing round. The company is now weighing a delay until 2027 to protect its $1 trillion listing target rather than accept a lower valuation in an earlier offering, according to The New York Times.

Can you buy OpenAI stock? (Pre-IPO status)

OpenAI is not yet a publicly traded company. You cannot buy OpenAI stock through a regular brokerage account today. The company filed a confidential draft S-1 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 8, 2026, per Forbes, which is a step toward an IPO but does not set a firm listing date. As of August 2, 2026, no public offering has occurred.

Accredited investors may be able to access pre-IPO shares through authorized secondary markets including Forge Global, EquityZen, and Hiive, which facilitate trades of employee and early-investor stock. These markets carry meaningful risks: share supply is limited, prices may not reflect fair value, and transfers may require company consent. Only investors who meet SEC accreditation requirements (generally a net worth above $1 million excluding primary residence, or annual income above $200,000) are eligible. This is a factual description of how these platforms operate; it is not an offer or solicitation to buy shares.

OpenAI valuation

OpenAI's most recent private funding round closed in March 2026 at a post-money valuation of approximately $852 billion. The company is targeting a public debut above $1 trillion. CEO Sam Altman has stated publicly that any reduction from that target was a non-starter, according to reporting by The New York Times in June 2026.

Revenue has grown rapidly: from approximately $2 billion annualized at end-2023, to $6 billion in 2024, to more than $20 billion by end of 2025, per company disclosures. Despite that growth, the company expects net losses of approximately $14 billion in 2026 and does not project profitability until around 2030.

How to invest in OpenAI

Until the IPO is completed, direct investment requires either insider status or access to a secondary market. For accredited investors, the main routes are:

• Forge Global: A regulated secondary marketplace for pre-IPO shares. Investors place bids; sellers (often employees or early backers) can accept. Minimum investment thresholds apply.
• EquityZen and Hiive: Similar platforms that aggregate supply from shareholders looking for liquidity before a public listing.
• SPVs and funds: Some venture funds offer exposure to private AI companies through special purpose vehicles; these carry management fees and longer lock-ups.
• Tender offers: OpenAI has periodically run structured tender offers allowing employees to sell a portion of shares at a set price. Watch for announcements on the company's investor relations page.

Non-accredited investors have no direct route to OpenAI equity before the IPO and must wait for the public listing, which would be accessible through standard brokerage accounts.

When will OpenAI IPO?

OpenAI filed its confidential S-1 on June 8, 2026, per Forbes. The original plan targeted a listing as early as late 2026, but The New York Times reported in late June that the company is now leaning toward a 2027 IPO to protect its $1 trillion valuation target. Prediction markets on Kalshi assign roughly a 59% probability that an official IPO announcement comes by March 1, 2027, per CNBC. No ticker or exchange has been confirmed as of August 2, 2026.

OpenAI stock: frequently asked questions

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Not investment advice.