OpenAI IPO: How to buy OpenAI shares

What does OpenAI do?

OpenAI is an artificial intelligence company known for ChatGPT. The company makes large language models (LLMs) and AI systems used across writing, coding, image generation and enterprise software.

OpenAI makes money through subscriptions (ChatGPT Plus, Team and Enterprise) and by licensing its models to businesses via APIs. Microsoft is OpenAI’s largest strategic partner and integrates its models across products like Azure and Copilot.

What is the OpenAI IPO date?

There is no confirmed IPO date for OpenAI at this stage, though rumours are circulating that it could be preparing for one soon.

In October 2025, Reuters reported that OpenAI was preparing for a US$1T public listing in 2026 or 2027. It followed OpenAI’s restructure into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), making it easier to raise capital and potentially setting the groundwork for a public listing.

However, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar soon quashed the rumours, saying that an IPO was not on the cards at a Wall Street Journal tech conference. "An IPO is not our focus, so we could not possibly have set a date," an OpenAI spokesperson said following the reports.

Still, speculation about when and if OpenAI will go public continues to circulate. OpenAI continues to spend billions of dollars in R&D and operates at a significant loss. A public listing would open the door to capital.

What is the expected OpenAI IPO share price?

At this stage, there’s no confirmed share price for an OpenAI IPO.

That’s normal. IPO prices are usually set close to listing day and depend on things like company valuation, how many shares are offered and overall market conditions. Until OpenAI officially announces plans to go public, any share price estimates are purely speculative.

OpenAI valuation

OpenAI is currently valued at around US$500B, following a company restructure with Microsoft that would give the AI firm easier access to capital raises.

The company’s valuation has risen rapidly alongside growing demand for generative AI tools, enterprise adoption and its partnership with Microsoft.

OpenAI valuation timeline

• 2019: No valuation reported however OpenAI received a US$1B investment from Microsoft.
• 2021: Valuation estimated to be around ~US$14B in numerous reports
• April 2023: A US$300M share sale reportedly valued OpenAI at ~US$27–29B
• April 2024: Closed a record-breaking US$40B funding round, valuing the firm at US$300B
• October 2024: Completed a US$6.6B capital raise by investors including Microsoft and Nvidia, valuing the company at US$157B
• October 2025: An employee share sale valued the firm at US$500B

What is the ticker symbol for OpenAI?

OpenAI doesn’t have a ticker symbol yet. If the company does go public, its ticker will be announced closer to the IPO.

Who is underwriting the IPO?

No underwriters have been announced. Banks usually come into the picture much later in the IPO process, and OpenAI hasn’t confirmed any plans so far.

How to buy shares in OpenAI

OpenAI is currently not listed which means you can’t yet buy shares. Your best bet is to buy shares in major stakeholders of OpenAI, such as Microsoft ($MSFT) and Softbank ($SFTBY).

When OpenAI does complete an IPO, you can follow the steps below to buy shares in the company on Stake.

1. Open a stock investing account

If you want to buy OpenAI stock, you'll need to sign up to an investing platform with access to the U.S. stock exchanges. Lucky for you, Stake has access to the Nasdaq and NYSE.

2. Fund your account

Complete an application with your personal and financial details. Fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or even Apple/Google Pay.

3. Search for OpenAI or look for their ticker symbol

Find the asset by searching for the name or ticker symbol. Do your own research to ensure it is the right investment product for your own circumstances.

4. Choose an order type and buy the asset

Buy on any trading day using a market order or limit order to delay your purchase of the asset until it reaches your desired price. You may wish to look into dollar cost averaging to spread out your risk, which smooths out buying at consistent intervals.

5. Monitor your investment

Once you own a stock, you should keep an eye on its performance. Check your portfolio regularly to ensure your investment is aligning with your financial goals.

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Can you buy OpenAI pre IPO?

For most investors, no. OpenAI is still private, which means shares are typically limited to employees, early backers and large institutional investors. While some private market platforms offer access to late-stage companies, these options usually aren’t available to everyday retail investors.

Learn more about the ways you can indirectly invest in OpenAI.

Who owns OpenAI?

OpenAI has an unusual structure, combining a nonprofit parent company (OpenAI Foundation) with a for-profit subsidiary (OpenAI Group PBC), following a restructure in 2025. The newly formed OpenAI Group means the company can raise extra capital for research and expansion.

To date, OpenAI Foundation holds a 26% stake in the for-profit OpenAI Group. Microsoft holds around 27% and the remaining is held by employees and investors.

In simple terms, ownership is spread across:

• Microsoft, its biggest investor and strategic partner
• OpenAI staff and leadership
• Early venture investors
• The OpenAI nonprofit, which keeps governance control

It’s not a typical corporate setup. OpenAI’s mixed nonprofit and for-profit model mean future shareholders may face limits on returns and less direct control than in a traditional public company. It’s a structure investors will want to understand carefully if the company ever lists.

Who are OpenAI’s competitors?

How will OpenAI perform going public?

If OpenAI lists, it would be one of the most closely watched IPOs on record.

The company has strong brand recognition and a leading position in generative AI. At the same time, expectations would be extremely high, competition among frontier AI labs is intense and regulation around AI continues to evolve.

And history tells us that IPOs, even highly anticipated tech IPOs, can be volatile. Listings like Meta, Snowflake and Arm all drew heavy interest, yet experienced significant price swings after going public as valuations adjusted and the market reassessed growth expectations.

As with most IPOs, OpenAI’s early share price performance would likely be driven by pricing, timing and market conditions, rather than fundamentals alone.

OpenAI IPO details

We’ll update this article when more information becomes available.

🎓 Learn more: What is an initial public offering and how do they work?→

Disclaimer

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