EL7.AI
StocksMediumUpdated•Originally published 12 September 2026•Updated 12 September 2026•
2 min read

Altman Says OpenAI Will Stay Private in 2026 as Safety Takes Priority

Key Facts

1Sam Altman said OpenAI will remain private throughout 2026 as it prioritizes artificial-intelligence safety and alignment.
2OpenAI confidentially submitted a draft Form S-1 on June 8, 2026, but said it had not decided the offering's timing.
3Securities covered by a registration statement cannot be sold until the statement becomes effective under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

Sam Altman, OpenAI's chief executive, said the company will not offer its shares to the public in 2026, linking the decision to the safety and alignment work that remains for advanced artificial-intelligence systems.

In a Fortune interview, Altman said becoming a public company now would be ill-advised and described remaining private as his preferred position while addressing safety, alignment and cooperation between industry and governments.

The statement is a firmer update to OpenAI's June 8, 2026 announcement that it had confidentially submitted a draft Form S-1 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said then that it had not decided on timing and that some objectives might be easier to pursue while private.

A confidential draft Form S-1 does not commit a company to complete an offering or make its shares tradable. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says securities covered by a registration statement cannot be sold until the statement has been declared effective.

In practical terms, ruling out a public offering in 2026 means investors will not receive an exchange-listed OpenAI share or a public trading price during the year. The company's June announcement also disclosed no offer price, share count or intended exchange, details normally found in a prospectus.

If OpenAI decides to proceed, the next steps would include a public registration statement and amendments, followed by effectiveness and a final prospectus. Altman's comments rule out 2026 but do not establish a specific date in 2027.