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OpenAI is holding early talks with investors over a fresh funding round that could value the ChatGPT maker at more than US$1.2 trillion (about RM4.85 trillion), as it weighs the timing of a planned initial public offering.
Any decision to proceed with the fundraising would depend on when OpenAI decides to go public, a person familiar with the talks said, asking not to be identified. The talks were initiated by investors, the person said.
OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman told Fortune earlier that the company’s long-anticipated IPO remains in the works but will not take place in 2026.
Additional funding, if pursued, could give OpenAI greater flexibility to delay its IPO by one or two quarters, another person familiar with the matter said.
The company could also use the proceeds to support further mergers and acquisitions, the person said.
OpenAI has spent billions acquiring startups, including io, the artificial intelligence device company founded by former Apple executive Jony Ive, and Astral, which develops Python tools for software developers.
A funding round at a valuation above US$1.2 trillion could put OpenAI ahead of rival Anthropic, which raised funds in May at a US$965 billion valuation, including the new investment.
OpenAI is also considering legal restrictions on what information it can share with private-market investors ahead of an IPO, the person said.
The Financial Times reported on the talks earlier on Sept 15, saying the round would allow longtime backers to increase their exposure ahead of the company’s IPO.
Bloomberg reported Anthropic is preparing for its own IPO and has selected Nasdaq as its listing venue. The Claude chatbot maker is seeking to raise as much as or more than SpaceX in an IPO that could take place as soon as October.
SpaceX raised a record US$86.3 billion in its offering in June. - September 16, 2026
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