OpenAI in Talks to Raise $30 Billion at $1.4 Trillion Valuation Ahead of 2027 IPO

OpenAI is in discussions with investors to raise at least $30 billion in a pre-IPO funding round at a valuation of approximately $1.4 trillion, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

The round would serve as a bridge to the company’s anticipated public market debut in 2027. OpenAI previously raised $122 billion in March 2026 at an $852 billion valuation — a round that was originally intended to be its final private raise before an IPO expected later that same year. CEO Sam Altman has since ruled out a 2026 public debut, citing AI safety as the reason for the delay.

“I think it is unacceptable to be taking like a 10% chance of killing everybody by the end of the decade,” Altman told Fortune, responding to warnings from safety researchers about AI posing an existential risk to humanity.

Investor interest remains strong heading into the new round. While Anthropic briefly outpaced OpenAI in market momentum earlier in 2026, a strategic refocus on areas such as coding has contributed to a 70% jump in run-rate revenue since July, with the company reaching $40 billion in run-rate revenue in August, according to Bloomberg.

If completed, the fundraise would mark OpenAI’s largest single round to date and could significantly increase its already substantial private valuation ahead of what the company now expects to be a 2027 IPO. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment from TechCrunch.